Sloane Stephens won her first Grand Slam title on Saturday, beating fellow American Madison Keys 6-3, 6-0 in the final. For the first time in 36 years, all of the semifinalists in the U.S. Open are from the U.S. Joining us to talk about this is former pro tennis player and ESPN commentator Pamela Shriver.
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Things were just not going Keys’ way throughout this match, but her ability to fight and find her best tennis with her back against the wall. That’s incredible. I just think it’s very cool.
Stephens’ two-month revival, dubbed affectionately as the “Summer of Sloane”, started without much fanfare.
Stephens only returned to the tour at Wimbledon after missing 11 months having undergone the surgery.
Asked if she was hungry to win more grand slams, Stephens said: “Of course. I actually won the US Open”. When Stephens was presented with her $3.7 million winner’s check, she grabbed Keys’ arm, as if to stop herself from fainting at the sum. When I was 11 years old, my mom took me to a tennis academy. Stephens was able to consolidate the break for a 4-2 lead, but Keys would not back down, beginning to attack the net more to shorten the rallies as she got it to 4-3. Stephens finished with 60 total points won to Keys’ 39 and committed only six unforced errors to 30 for Keys in the match.
The tone was set early.
Stephens and Keys have met only once before, with Stephens winning in straight sets in Miami in 2015. Williams’ coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, warmly embraced Stephens’ coach, Kamau Murray, after the match.
For Madison Keys, the only way to gain experience is.to gain experience.
“I’m really sad for me but I’m happy for her. Drinks will help me through this tough time”.
I has surgery in January and if someone had told me then that I would win the US Open I would have said it was impossible.
And at 37 years of age, she’d be the oldest victor on the women’s side of a major.
“If there’s someone I have to lose to today, I’m glad it’s her”, Keys said. I’m going to support her no matter what, and I know she’s going to support me no matter what.
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“It was definitely well competed”, she said. And then CoCo Vandeweghe is a terrific athlete and one of the best serves in women’s tennis. She arrives at the ball with the grace of a ballet dancer, releases a shot with an ease of effort, is consistently in place to play another and another and another.
