One of professional tennis’ biggest events came to a close this past Sunday after three weeks full of matches. 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 rundown of the culminated U.S. Open in Queens, N.Y. — plus some of the fun and uplifting moments along the way.
The U.S. Open features men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. There are also juniors and wheelchair divisions. Depending on the match, players compete in either a best-of-three or best-of-five format. A player must win six games to take a set, and winning three or five sets secures the match. Matches can last about an hour — or stretch over 10 hours, though that is rare. One such marathon was played over the course of three days.
Another wrinkle: Tennis is played on different surfaces, including grass, clay and hard courts. The U.S. Open takes place on an outdoor acrylic hard court. Surface differences change the spin, speed and bounce of the ball, testing a player’s adaptability and demanding all-around training to compete at the highest level.
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 consecutive meeting in the final of a Grand Slam — a major professional championship in tennis. The four Grand Slams are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Both players have collected multiple major titles, Sinner at Wimbledon and Alcaraz at the French Open. Fighting for the world No. 1 ranking, 22-year-old Alcaraz defeated Sinner to claim the trophy, replacing him at the top of the standings.
On the women’s side, the singles final saw Amanda Anisimova face Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday afternoon. Sabalenka emerged victorious. Anisimova’s run was remarkable in itself — a comeback season after stepping away from the sport in 2023 for mental health, mourning the loss of her father and recovering from multiple injuries. Sabalenka, meanwhile, entered the match already ranked No. 1 in singles.
The players weren’t competing just for prestige. The prize purse was a staggering: $5 million for first place, $2.5 million for second, and decreasing payouts through the round of 128. In total, the U.S. Open awarded about $90 million to participants.
Beyond the championship matches, a few unexpected stars captured hearts for their four-legged charm. Russian player Anna Kalinskaya’s dachshund, Bella, stole the spotlight in a viral video acting as her ball girl — stubby legs scampering across the court even as her owner fell in elimination play. American player Danielle Collins’ five-year-old labradoodle, Quincy, also drew attention as a beloved courtside companion. While dogs are welcome at the U.S. Open, Wimbledon enforces a strict no-dogs policy. That hasn’t stopped players from bringing their pets along on the world tour, delighting fans everywhere.
