US Open Final 2017: Sloane Stephens dominates over friend Madison Keys
The emotions were raw and on full display as Madison Keys wilted in the final set on the biggest stage either player had ever been on. Sloane Stephens took full advantage and ran away with the title, 6-3, 6-0, but showed plenty of grace by hugging it out with her opponent.
It’s hard to play a friend. That’s what Madison Keys discovered in the U.S. Open grand slam match against her closest friend on tour, Sloane Stephens. It was a lot of pressure, with the 22 year-old Keys breaking down in tears at one point during the changeover and then for much longer at the end. The customary handshake between the two players became more of a hug-it-out moment.
Stephens simply looked stunned with the win and after she composed herself, she approached the net. Friends know when another friend is having a moment and she could tell Keys was going to lose it. You could see Stephens say to her friend, “come here, baby” and the tears flowed, with the new U.S. Open champ telling her it was going to be ok.
Friends on the tour and teammates in the Olympics and Fed Cup, both players know each other well. In her trophy presentation acceptance speech, the 24 year-old Stephens told the crowd, “Madison is one of my bestest friends on tour.” The U.S. Open champ had done something else right before the ceremony. Once the match was over and the players went to their benches to regroup, Sloane Stephens sat next to her friend, who she calls “Maddie,” and chatted like old friends do. This is not normally done; usually the player needs time to his or herself to collect their thoughts, reflect, before the trophy ceremony, but Sloane knew her friend needed to just hang out. The grand slam champion explained why she did this.
“I’m going to support her no matter what. That’s what friendship is.”
Madison Keys was clearly shaken by the match. Both players started out tentative and nervous, but it was Stephens who found her confidence and was nearly flawless in her shot-making, while Keys made several unforced errors and continued to do so until she became deflated in the second set. If anything, it was the errors that decided the outcome of the match.
During the trophy presentation ceremony, Keys acknowledged that she didn’t play her best game and still fought back tears while accepting the ceremonial dish and addressing the crowd.
It’s been a remarkable ride for Stephens and Keys. Both of them have come back from debilitating injuries. The world No. 16 endured two wrist surgeries and fought tough opponents throughout the tournament. Her road back has been inspiring.
The world No. 83 has had the biggest rise that I can imagine, starting out at No. 957 after she came back from a serious foot injury. She broke into the Top 100 quickly and progressed in major tournaments this summer coming into Flushing Meadows. With the win, her ranking will shoot into the Top 20, a herculean effort from 957.
She graciously mentioned her mother, a former leading swimmer at Boston University, who raised her, for the opportunities she worked to get her daughter. She told the crowd, “Parents, never give up on your kids.”
“I should retire now,” she joked in her winner’s speech. “I told Maddie, I could never top this.”
This was the first time an American woman — not name Serena or Venus — has won a grand slam final since Jennifer Capriati did at the 2002 Australian Open. New to the stage, as composed as she was during the match and in her victory speech, Sloane Stephens couldn’t help showing her thrill when she received the winner’s check of $3.7 million. “Wow,” you could see her say. “That’s a lot of money,” while flashing her megawatt smile. The only nerves she showed were when she took the that check.
“It’s incredible,” said Stephens about her win during the ceremony. “This journey’s been incredible.”
With two young Americans in the U.S. Open grand slam it has established American women’s tennis is a movement that is here to stay, even after Serena and Venus Williams retire.