Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu won the Women’s Singles trophy at the US Open. She defeated Serena Williams, 37, in a topsy-turvy match that had all of Arthur Ashe Stadium in their feelings. I’ll try to be a little ray of sunshine and talk about all of the good things for a moment:
Canada finally won a Slam. Bianca is the first Canadian, man or woman, to win a Slam in singles. Good for her. Legit.
It’s exciting to have a teenager win big trophies. Too many times, tennis commentators are too eager to infantilize grown-ass women (Osaka is a prime example of that, she’s treated like she’s 12 not 21), but Bianca is a big, messy teenager with a big, messy power game and it’s all drama and crazy shot-making and more drama. What’s weird is that even though she’s very “teenage drama,” she shows a surprising amount of maturity… sometimes.
The umpire did her job. She didn’t interrupt the match for anything other than hushing the crowd. She did not bait either of the players, and I don’t think either player even got any warnings or violations. Carlos Ramos STILL needs to be fired.
Serena fought harder in this Slam final that she has in the past two years. She was a big mess, she was near tears on the changeovers and in her serve games, but she fought back from 5-1 in the second set to get it to 5-all (breaking Bianca twice), only to lose her nerve when serving to take it to a tiebreak. It was not a quick, clean death for her like in the past three Slam finals she’s lost. She FOUGHT. She mostly fought with herself. But it was good to see.
Now for some less optimistic thoughts…
I just care about Serena Williams and I’m invested in her. Maybe too invested. But I feel like if she wants to keep on reaching for #24 (and #25, #26, etc), she needs a larger overhaul. After last year’s US Open final, I didn’t really think much about Serena’s relationship with her coach Patrick Mouratoglou. When John McEnroe did commentary on one of Serena’s matches in Melbourne (I think?), he mentioned that he was surprised that Serena didn’t fire Patrick in the off-season. We know Serena is loyal. She can still be loyal to Patrick and bring some new blood into her team. Or maybe just fire Patrick outright and bring in some new people.
I feel like she should truly benefit from bringing in Simona Halep’s mental coach/therapist too. Serena wrote about how she sought therapy after last year’s USO final. I feel like that was for a very specific problem of what happened in that final. I would like Serena to bring in someone with a background in sports psychology, because so much of this “losing in finals” thing is mental.
If the catsuit has the best record coming into the final, WEAR THE CATSUIT IN THE FINAL. Jesus, it’s NOT HARD. It’s a superstition, sure. But it’s a small, harmless one. Wear the catsuit, not the purple dress.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
As a Serena fan (or Williams sisters fan in general) I’m gutted. She’s been working so so hard and it would be great to see that effort rewarded. Also, a great slap in the face to all the naysayers who predict that her career will never recover after motherhood.
As a Canadian, I’m thrilled with Andreescu’s victory. It’s nice to see some fresh young players making names for themselves.
Yeah, I get it, but there’s no denying that getting older (in elite sportswomen’s terms) coinciding with having a baby does take it out of a woman. I think, sadly, Serena’s glory days are over, but I’d be thrilled if she proved me wrong. In any case, she’s got the best prize of all, with that gorgeous baby. Bianca Andreescu is someone to watch in the future.
I don’t think you can say someone’s glory days are over when they are consistently making the finals of these tournaments.
Exactly, we didn’t exactly see people telling Federer to just give up or that he’s too old after he lost to Djokovic at Wimbledon this year. People just acknowledged what happened: two incredible players competed, and only one can win.
I was totally impressed with Bianca’s coolness and determination to succeed. I hope she continues like this.
And I agree with Kaiser: Serena beat herself and imo a mental coach would be a good idea.
I couldn’t believe how well Bianca got herself together after Serena started pushing back in the last set. I disagree that Serena beat herself, I think it was a good showdown.
She had 37 errors and 9 double faults. She played terribly. Bianca also played well with few errors. Both are true. I kept wondering if she had a sports psychologist with her or on call because the pressure gets to her and she keeps getting tight in the Finals. Meanwhile, the opposition has no outside pressure and plays with ease. Dimitrov and Halep have sports psychologist.
Yes, this. Saying Serena beat herself in this instance is almost the same as saying “Serena let Bianca win” or “Bianca only won because Serena was having issues.” There is more than one great tennis player on the planet. We need to accept this.
I used to be super invested in Serena and Venus both, and they’ve done amazing things for the sport and Black women especially. But it’s frakkin time for new victors, now. Getting sooo bored with the same winners. So, hurray for change, hurray for young upstarts, but also hurray for Serena for holding her magic through so many years, against so much BS. She will shine forever, regardless if her time is over (or not).
Was great that either player winning would be a historic event. Turns out that Canada is having a great sports year. Well done Bianca.
Love that Serena did rally. I wonder if issue is psychological as she’s going for an amazing record. I hope she achieves her aims but either way she’s an all time great. I think people take Serena and what she’s accomplished for granted. Bianca wasn’t even alive when she made her debut& 20 years + she’s still making finals.
My nerves and blood pressure were all over the place that second set! It was a great match. I love how people are talking about how Serena should retire since she hasn’t won. How amazing of an athlete must you be and a career must you have when people talk about retirement for getting second place.
I don’t like criticizing athletes because I can’t play any sports. It’s amazing what Serena’s accomplished & if she decided to retire tomorrow, I’d still think she was GOAT. If she continues to play, I will still root for her & she’s still doing amazing. Maybe new blood is necessary or just being more patient. She will get there.
Same here. I’m not athletic at all so I see everything Serena’s accomplished as a Really Big Deal, even if she didn’t win the US Open.
Still, Serena reached two Grand Slam Finals in 2018 and she reached the Finals of the same Grand Slams again this year. Which other player has achieved this? The glass is half full!
Yes, I saw it as she has reached several grand slam finals post childbirth. Finals!! She has also moved up the ranking and is back in the top ten. She has still got it.
Serena made it to FOUR slam finals!!
that’s the right perspective.
EXACTLY. She remains the gd queen.
Exactly.
She probably needs a new mental coach & strength and conditioning coach, Her opponents no longer fear her too perhaps, a shift in the dynamics of her finals.
I’m not athletic at all so I cannot criticize someone who made it to four slam finals this year. I think she’s amazing. I also think Bianca is amazing. They’re two strong, talented women who should both be celebrated.
Whatever she decides to do she’ll be fine. She’s a strong amazing woman.
That bottom photo, Serena smiling radiantly, her hand on the new champ. How can anyone say a bad word about SW ever? <3
She may have a hand on the shoulder but she was condescending in the interviews. She said the winner was a “great girl” which could be said of any of us. It just kills SW to give credit where credit is due. She couldn’t say that she was the “better player” or a “great athlete”. She said the only reason the other person won was because “Serena didn’t show up today”. Total BS. I don’t like SW attitude, I think she’s a jerk, and her ego is what’s causing her to lose. She needs an attitude adjustment and a new coach to keep playing.
I work the US Open almost every year, and still know absolutely nothing about this sport. Tennis is just not my thing. However, yesterday I got a chance to go see the match and it was amazing because I got to see a true legend in action. I may not know tennis, but I know Serena Williams is an ICON, and there is nothing that can take that away from her in my mind. If she never wins again, if she retires tomorrow, who cares? Serena has already earned her GOAT title as far as I’m concerned! It was a treat just to breathe the same air as someone who had accomplished so much, win or no win! I think people are getting emotional about small things. Coming in second at the US Open after a baby and how many years of playing??? Come on, now! For people like me who don’t follow this sport closely, Serena Williams IS tennis! I’m happy to got to see her play!
Bianca played very well but Serena wasn’t in the same top for like in the semis. It’s the fourth final she lost. Intervention is needed. What a fighter, the first set was a mess, the beginning of the second too but then from 5:1 to 5:5 and to survive a match point.. Wow. Fighter. But Bianca kept her cool..
Not how I’d describe Bianca at all. All emotion and drama would never be able to face the GOAT and that US Open crowd. Insane. She’s got some mad mental fitness and a powerful game.
So true—I was impressed with how well Bianca held her cool. This was her first Grand Slam final! I believe one of the commentators said she was ranked around 150th a year or two ago. I happened to watch her semi-final match, which was also a lesson in the importance of keeping your cool. It really seemed like her opponent (forgot her name) had Bianca beat, but said opponent fell apart after making some unforced errors and began scowling and behaving like an angry child. And missing shots she shouldn’t have missed.
Yay Bianca! 🇨🇦🇨🇦
I was so sad after the loss even though I’m happy for the winner. But Serena’s tally shows this is all in her head – she’s beating herself in these finals. And yes – wear the frickin’ catsuit!!
I was so sad after the loss even though I’m happy for the winner. But Serena’s rally shows this is all in her head – she’s beating herself in these finals. And yes – wear the frickin’ catsuit!!
I’m Canadian and I want to be happy for Bianca but I’m so sad for Serena. She played well for the entire competition and it hurts that things fell apart in the final.
But Serena was in the fucking FINALS of the US Open! I don’t believe that’s anything to sneeze at. Federer didn’t make it to the finals.
Most of the young women Serena plays these days weren’t even BORN when she won her first US Open. The fact that she’s still playing and still COMPETITIVE is a wonder.
I would love for Serena to beat that racist monster Court’s record but Court played in a completely different era. If Serena doesn’t beat Court’s record, she’s still the GOAT.
Why is Bianca a “messy teenager”?
That bothered me, too. She seems like a grounded, gracious *woman*. She’s 19, not 11. She’s also undoubtedly strong, mentally and physically. She knew the NY crowd would be with Serena and wanted her to win. As someone commented, she was battling them as well as Serena; she joked about that being the toughest part in one of her post-match interviews (she also apologised for beating Serena, knowing it was her they wanted to win, very Canadian of her, haha).
There is a wonderful video of Bianca visiting with Serena on the Roger’s Cup court (Serena had to leave the match due to an injured upper back), and you can see all the great qualities Bianca has that will hold her in good stead. Serena’s reaction is especially moving.
I was rooting for both of them. Serena capturing #24 would have been incredible and Bianca would still have her first Canadian in a slam final and many more years ahead of her. Bianca wanted this though and proved her mettle. As a Canadian, I’m so incredibly proud of her I believe Serena will get her record-breaker yet and her incredible achievements are unassailable.
I watched her on the news last night and Bianca was about her goals going forward. She said she was aiming for the top three by the end of the year. She was, as was said above, gracious and assertive in her response.
She made it to four grand slam finals and came in second in this one. And yet from the coverage, you’d think she’d limped into last place or something.
I am so confused by all the calls that she retire.
The US couldn’t put a single female figure skater on the podium at the last Olympics. It will be four years from that games to the next and I didn’t hear about how any of them need to retire.
If she still loves the game and enjoys her training, why should she retire?
Regroup Serena and come on back.
The issue isn’t that Serena had a baby, it’s that she nearly died in the process.
I had surgery late last year and lost a lot of blood etc. But I didn’t give birth and I didn’t nearly die. Yet to this day, I feel like absolute shit. I have zero energy and get every virus there is.
I can’t imagine returning to sports – let alone competing at that level. Plus constantly travelling, raising a child etc.
Hmmm… Serena remains a GOAT no matter what, but yes , I support your little superstition, @kaiser , but this time it’s with regards Meghan.
I love her , (God bless her heart) , but next time Duchy could you PLEASE sit out he next finals … Thank you ! Whoosh! !!!
Gutted for Serena but she will bounce back.
I think Serena needs a break to take care of herself/her mental well being and just recharge so she can get back in to the game the way she knows how. So much pressure is being applied to her and everything is about how she is this or that way after becoming a mother etc. Being a mother does not define her. She is an unreal athlete first and foremost. She needs a break and a new team.
I am not someone who follows tennis, but to be honest, this headline pissed me off a bit. Why not: Serena Williams makes it to her fourth slam final since becoming a mother…?
If this happened to a man, there would be absolutely no connection to his becoming a father.
Watching these two women play was so much fun. They were both so driven and competitive, then, soooooo well spoken and classy. I have to say, as a Canadian, I did love when Bianca apologized for winning. She knew the crowd loved Serena and my gosh … that was a CANADIAN moment. Apologizing for winning. XO I just adore both of these women. Adore.
Congrats on playing in 4 Slam Finals in two years.Most top players don’t get to compete in 4 Slam Finals in their career and she has done in the last 2 years.