One of professional tennis’s biggest events came to a close this past Sunday, after around three weeks full of matches. Now, I don’t know the ins-and-outs of tennis, but this competition has dominated my news feeds and the excitement felt palpable. So from one beginner to another, here’s a run down of the culminated U.S. Open in Queens, NY. And of course the fun and uplifting sides of the competition.
The basic breakdown of the U.S. open is a tournament divided into men’s and women’s singles, men's and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. Additionally, there was a juniors and a wheelchair division. Depending on the type of match, it can be played in a best-of-three or a best-of-five-sets format. Additionally, most of the time players must win six games to win a set. This means one player needs to get enough points to win at least six games in at least three or five sets to win the match. Matches can last for around one hour or even over ten hours. In the latter case, the match was played over the course of three days; however, that is quite atypical.
Another interesting feature is that tennis can be played on different surfaces, including grass, clay and hard courts. The U.S. Open takes place on an outdoor acrylic hard court. These differences can change the spin, speed and bounce of a ball. This tests players’ ability to adapt and requires all around training to be a top contender.
One of the most anticipated matches of the tournament was the men’s singles final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. This was their third time meeting in the final of a Grand Slam — a major professional championship in tennis — in a row. There are four Grand Slams: the Australian Open, Wimbledon, the French Open and the U.S. Open. Both players have won many Grand Slams — this year, Sinner at Wimbledon and Alcaraz at the French Open. Fighting for the number one position, the 22 year-old Alcaraz beat Sinner to claim the title. This caused Alcaraz to replace Sinner as No. 1 in the rankings.
On the women’s side of the sport, the final match in the singles championship was between Amanda Anisimova and Aryna Sabalenka. On Saturday afternoon, the women faced off, and Sabalenka emerged victorious. This marked her 100th win in Grand Slam matches. Anisimova’s season was a stunning comeback after taking a leave of absence for mental health in 2023, her father passing away and her sustaining multiple injuries. Sabalenka came into the match already ranked in first for singles.
The players aren’t just in the competition for fun — the reward, in addition to making a compelling case for sponsorships, is a staggering amount of money. The prize is $5 million for first place, $2.5 million for second, and continues to decrease through the round of 128. The total amount paid to U.S. Open participants is around $90 million.
Other less suspecting stars stood out for their cute and friendly nature. These furry companions first caught my eye when I stumbled upon a video of Russian player Anna Kalinskaya’s dachshund Bella acting as her ball girl. Bella’s stubby little legs bounding around the court no doubt brought a smile to the audience’s face, even if her owner did lose the elimination match. Another stand out was Quincy, a five-year-old labradoodle and pet of American player Danielle Collins. These dogs have free run of the court in NYC, but this is not the same at every large tennis event. Wimbledon has a strict no-dogs policy. However that doesn’t stop players from bringing their pooches along on the world tour.
