Now that the dust has settled, the prevailing sentiment, as anybody who stepped foot on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center during the Flushing fortnight of the 2023 US Open knows, is gratitude.
With a magical fortnight behind us, let’s take a look back at the moments that moved us the most.
Coco Comes of Age
In 2022, when Serena Williams bid farewell to the sport, there was one silver lining to losing the greatest American champion of all-time: the obvious fact that her legacy would continue to impact the sport in a meaningful way in the years and decades to come.
Not only had Williams conducted a groundbreaking career that saw her remain at the pinnacle of the sport for two decades, she also inspired women of color in America and across the globe to dream big and believe that in tennis—and life—impossible is nothing.
Fitting that one year later Coco Gauff, a proud product of Serena’s legacy, stepped to the fore and took the Open by storm as she became the youngest American to win the US Open since then-17-year-old Serena claimed her first major title in Flushing in 1999.
Gauff put the final exclamation point on her dream fortnight on Saturday, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling three-set final. If one listens closely, one can still hear echoes of cheers still ringing from the depths of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
What to make of this passing-the-torch moment?
“Serena’s Serena—she's the GOAT,” Gauff confirmed over the weekend, adding: “I will hope to do half of what she [has done], but I'm not going to compare myself to her. She's someone I looked up to… She's my idol.
“I'm still happy to just be a product of her legacy.”
Djokovic’s Crowning Achievement
How does he do it? How has he done it? What sets Novak Djokovic, the mythical, marvelous, mountain of a tennis player, apart from all the other icons who have graced the Grand Slam stage with their presence?
Once again in 2023, New York got a chance to witness the legend up close and personal so that they could decide for themselves. For the man who writes a new chapter of history nearly every time he ambles onto a Grand Slam court, the Flushing fortnight saw him pen another unfathomable milestone.
What did we just bear witness to?
Djokovic the elder, still driven like the insouciant youth who first took his place in the final as a 19-year-old in 2007, completing unfinished business in Flushing Meadows to become the king of Queens—a US Open champion for a fourth time!
Meet the new boss—same as the old boss. The wolf on the prowl, hungrier than ever at 36, showing all the kids in the 128-player men’s singles draw how it is done.
Djokovic was showered with love before, during and after Sunday’s final, and recognized for what he has become—simply the best. The man who bared his soul to the New York faithful in 2021, has left an indelible impression over the decades. He connects us to something infinite on the tennis court, his unquenchable desire functioning as the thread that weaves intricately through the beginning of the Big Three Era in men’s tennis to the present tense.
With his 24th major title, Djokovic ties Margaret Court on the all-time Grand Slam singles title list, and sets the stage for a stunning next chapter in 2024.
Farewell John Isner
And just like that—14,470 aces later—American tennis said goodbye to a player that was more than merely a “serve-bot.” John Isner embraced the term, and was proud to function as the ATP’s recurring nightmare over the course of his 17-year pro career. But he was so much more than an ace machine.
Affable and determined, Isner was the leading man for American men’s tennis for more than a decade, and he didn’t just rack up wins and titles (489 and 16 if you’re scoring at home), he also took the time to welcome, embrace and lead the next generation of American men.
Isner’s last match was played in the second round against Michael Mmoh, but his legacy continued on during the US Open. The four men that reached the second week in Queens— Tommy Haas, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe—all heaped praise on the big man, thanking him for welcoming them into the fold and helping shape their careers.
Isner got a standing ovation from the Grandstand fans when his final match was finished, and the feeling was mutual.
"This is why I've worked as hard as I have my whole life, to play in atmospheres like this," Isner said. "I might not win them all, as we know, just like today. To play in front of this crowd and have the support I've had is pretty special."
Sweet Caroline Returns
Ten mothers entered this year’s women’s singles draw at Flushing Meadows, each of them inspiring in their own right, but only one could be the last mom standing at the US Open. That would be legendary Dane Caroline Wozniacki, who stepped out of the nursery room as a mother of two to flash her all-court brilliance for the Flushing faithful.
Wozniacki, making her first Grand Slam appearance in more than three years, quickly kicked into mid-season form in New York, winning three matches to reach the second week. Once there, she took the opening set and nearly upset eventual champion Gauff in the fourth round.
Not bad for a 33-year-old who hadn’t held sway in the major fray since the 2020 Australian Open.
New Yorkers have always adored the two-time US Open finalist, and the connection remained intact this year, with a supercharged atmosphere emerging whenever she played.
“I may be older, but at the same time I'm still a competitor and I want to work really hard so that I can be the best possible version of me as a tennis player when I go out on court,” inspiring Wozniacki said after her final match.
It is uncertain how long Wozniacki’s second career will last, but it is certain that US Open fans will welcome her with open arms however long she plays.
History for Black American Tennis
When it comes to American men’s tennis, the vibes are good—and getting better all the time. It’s been a perpetual theme among tennis aficionados over the last five years, and with each passing Grand Slam more and more mainstream enthusiasts are initiated.
This year, American fans from all backgrounds celebrated in unison.
For the first time in history, two Black American men reached the quarterfinals at the same Grand Slam, as Tiafoe and Shelton squared off for a spot in an historic US Open quarterfinal clash.
Inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, the full circle moment hit home with a packed house of jubilant supporters. How proud Ashe himself, the legendary athlete, activist and social justice advocate for whom the stadium is named, would have been to witness two men of color captivating fans from the front row to the rafters with one one of the most special—and symbolic—moments in US Open memory.
“It’s going to be a great atmosphere, great representation for people of color, right? Two people of color playing in the quarterfinals, huge match on Arthur Ashe,” Tiafoe said prior to the match. “It’s a pretty monumental moment.”
Monumental indeed, and so much more. A sign that Ashe’s legacy, like Serena’s, will continue to shape American tennis and future US Opens from here to eternity.
Equality for All
Finally, we turn our heads to the moment that shaped the 2023 US Open more than any other: Equality!
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of equal prize money at the US Open, the women stepped up to dominate the storylines during the Flushing fortnight. Gauff, 19 years old yet wise beyond her years, certainly got the memo.
The teenager was quick to say a few simple yet poignant words to the legendary King when she picked up her $3 million champion’s check after winning the final on Saturday.
“Thank you, Billie, for fighting for this.”
Women have been paying it forward since King and Co. founded the WTA Tour half a century ago, and the Flushing fortnight was a prolonged celebration of what the US Open has always represented to women’s tennis. As the first Grand Slam to give women their financial due, the tournament paved the way for equality at the four majors, and while the true goal of all-out equality has not been reached in the sport, this year we celebrated how far the fight has come—and the glimmering truth that the will to keep pressing forward will never diminish.
