By: Elina Suri

The 143rd United States Open Tennis Championships (US Open) were held at the end of the summer in Queens, New York. As one of four tennis Grand Slams along with the Australian Open, the French Open, and the Wimbledon Championships, the US Open was established in 1881 as a competition solely for mens’ singles and doubles. By 1892, the tournament had expanded and diversified its competitor pool to include women’s singles and doubles, as well as mixed doubles.

This year, the US Open began on August 28. Countless tennis fans flocked to the courts and filled the 23,771 seats of the Arthur Ashe Stadium, the US Open’s main court and the largest tennis stadium in the world, in anticipation of a highly entertaining and exciting tournament. Betting favorites were Polish former World No. 1 Iga Świątek for the women’s singles, and Serbian World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and World No. 2 and 2023 Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz from Spain for the men’s singles.

The two-week long tournament began with qualifiers, followed by the Round of 32 and the Round of 16. Świątek unexpectedly lost her match in the Round of 16, shifting expectations to Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka and American Coco Gauff to claim the Grand Slam title. Djokovic remained unruffled through the preliminary rounds and the semi-finals; however, Alcaraz was defeated in the semi-final by Russian Daniil Medvedev.

In the women’s singles final, Sabalenka faced Gauff, and in the men’s singles, Djokovic competed against Medvedev. Associated Press News reported that “[Coco] Gauff surged to a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over… Aryna Sabalenka” for her first Grand Slam title. In the men’s final, Djokovic prevailed over Medvedev, claiming his 24th singles title and tying with Australian Margaret Court for the most Grand Slam titles in tennis history.

English Teacher Ms. Ryan commented, “I always enjoy watching Djokovic—he is so precise and steady. But I particularly like Medvedev; his sense of humor is fun to see, and he is an incredibly skilled, smart player who does not, I think, get the kind of airtime he deserves. I also love watching Sabalenka. I thought the US Open was especially engaging this year. It was wonderful to watch Gauff over the course of the season. Her presence of mind and intelligence on the court are so impressive for a teenager!”

Although the US Open concluded the 2023 tennis Grand Slams, tennis fans do not have long to wait, as the new year will bring with it the 2024 Australian Open, held from January 15 until January 28 in Melbourne Park. Those who may not be avid tennis supporters may also enjoy the next Grand Slam: as Ms. Ryan shared, “I don’t follow tennis closely, but I find watching it simultaneously exciting and relaxing, a hard combination to find in a pastime!”