What made the US Open stand out for fans? A scandalous champion, favorites’ downfall, and more

The 114th edition of the US Open has concluded. Many fans still recall the early exits of two tournament favorites, while others wonder why Iga Świątek failed to claim another trophy.

Let’s dive into the key moments of the last major of the season with Dailysports!

Men’s Singles. Who Won, and What Stood Out?

In the final, Jannik Sinner faced off against Taylor Fritz, with Sinner, the ATP leader, claiming a commanding victory.

In the third set, Fritz seemed poised to win at least one set, especially with the crowd’s fervent support. Yet even Fritz appeared to doubt his ability to overcome Sinner unless the Italian started making unforced errors on every shot.

From 3-5 down, Sinner won four consecutive games to secure the well-deserved trophy. On his way to the title, he dropped only two sets: to Mackenzie McDonald (1st round) and Daniil Medvedev (quarterfinals).

After the elimination of Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, many believed the quarterfinal clash between Sinner and Medvedev would be the tournament's "hidden final." However, both players fell short of expectations, and the first three sets were one-sided affairs. Sinner got lucky with the draw, but that’s the current state of men’s tennis.

Despite his confident victory, Sinner's triumph left fans divided due to a doping scandal. Allegedly, a banned substance, clostebol, entered his body through a massage spray, enhancing protein synthesis. While Sinner was cleared of any wrongdoing, questions remain about why the ATP didn’t suspend him. The substance is considered doping, and its presence, no matter how it got there, is enough to raise eyebrows.

• Also read: We are witnessing greatness: Kyrios publicly humiliates Sinner and his girlfriend after US Open win

Though acquitted, Sinner faced significant pressure from the media and fans but handled it admirably, especially considering he’s just 23. The ATP and his team, however, bear responsibility for nearly derailing his career.

Now, let’s revisit the upsets of the tournament: Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz lost to Botic van de Zandschulp in the third round, and Djokovic was ousted by Alexei Popyrin.

Both Alcaraz and Djokovic would likely win 9 out of 10 matches against these opponents, but the stars aligned differently in New York.

Djokovic’s exit is understandable given his age (37), his Olympic efforts, and the nearing end of his illustrious career. However, Alcaraz’s excuse of not recovering in time seemed odd. Nonetheless, it’s not for us, armchair experts, to judge. Yet, comparisons with Rafael Nadal, who was already dominating at 21, make Alcaraz’s reasoning appear weak. Fans should stop comparing him to Rafa and give him the time to rest—he's already a phenomenal player!

Women’s Singles. Who Won, and What Stood Out?

A day before the men’s final, the women’s title was decided. It’s clear that, at present, the only player truly capable of competing with Iga Świątek is Aryna Sabalenka, who emerged victorious.

In the final, the neutral athlete defeated Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5, though the score didn’t reflect the gap in their performances. Pegula could’ve exited earlier, but she fought hard, and kudos to her for that.

At 26, Sabalenka claimed her third major title, her second of 2024. Her power-driven, aggressive style is rare in women’s tennis, and she consistently delivers precise and powerful shots. The only concern is how long her physical style will hold up before injuries inevitably take a toll.

Sabalenka even set a tournament record for the fastest forehand—129 km/h—beating both women and men, with Alcaraz placing second at 127 km/h.

Pegula, on the other hand, will become the top-ranked American player, surpassing Coco Gauff. But at 30, this was her first Grand Slam final, and given her financial security, it’s unlikely her career will be a long one. We might not remember Pegula in a couple of years, as her focus may shift toward family.

As for Iga Świątek, after a strong first half of the season, she faltered at Wimbledon, the US Open, and even managed only bronze at the Olympics. Her quarterfinal loss at the US Open to Pegula, 2-6, 4-6, came as a shock, and Świątek, known for her emotional reactions, broke down in tears after both this match and her Olympic semifinal defeat to Zheng Qinwen.

Speaking of Zheng, the Olympic champion had a tough tournament, only breezing past Jule Niemeier. In the round of 16, she replayed the Olympic final against Donna Vekić, once again emerging victorious. This rivalry was one of the best in the women's singles.

Zheng eventually lost to Sabalenka in the semifinals, repeating her Australian Open final defeat to Aryna.

Men’s Doubles Final

Max Purcell/Jordan Thompson [7] (Australia) – Kevin Krawietz/Tim Pütz [10] (Germany) – 6:4, 7:6(4)

For Purcell, this was his second Grand Slam title, after winning Wimbledon in 2022 with fellow Aussie Matthew Ebden. Thompson claimed his first major victory after previously finishing runner-up at Wimbledon this year, also alongside Purcell.

Women’s Doubles Final

Lyudmyla Kichenok (Ukraine)/Alona Ostapenko (Latvia) – Kristina Mladenovic (France)/Zhang Shuai (China) – 6:4, 6:3

Kichenok won her second Grand Slam title, having claimed Wimbledon in mixed doubles in 2023 with Mate Pavić. This was Ostapenko’s second major trophy, with her first coming in the 2017 Roland Garros women’s singles.

Mixed Doubles Final

Sara Errani/Andrea Vavassori [3] (Italy) – Taylor Townsend/Donald Young [WC] (USA) – 7:6(0), 7:5

Errani and Vavassori secured their first mixed doubles title after three tournaments together. Errani, a five-time Grand Slam women’s doubles champion, also won gold at the 2024 Olympics in the women’s doubles with Jasmine Paolini.

Most Scandalous Incident

Kazakh tennis player Yulia Putintseva made headlines for a strange act during her third-round US Open match. After losing to Jasmine Paolini, Putintseva was remembered not for the defeat, but for refusing to catch balls thrown by a ball girl.

Though Putintseva later apologized, claiming she didn’t notice the girl or was lost in thought, it was an odd moment. Tennis legend Boris Becker criticized Putintseva’s behavior, calling it “terrible treatment of the ball girl” on social media.