American tennis has long wondered what life would be like after the Williams sisters — and tomorrow it will find out, as Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys make their first appearances in a Grand Slam final.
Since Jennifer Capriati won the Australian Open in 2002, the Williams sisters have been the only American women to win Grand Slam singles titles, but Serena did not play here at the US Open because of the birth of her first child, while Venus lost a gripping battle of the generations.
As four home players contested the semi-finals for the first time since 1981, Stephens, 24, finally looked like a natural successor to the sisters when she beat 37-year-old Venus 6-1, 0-6, 7-5, while 22-year-old Keys crushed Coco Vandeweghe 6-1, 6-2 in just 66 minutes.
The pair will meet in the final almost 60 years to the day since Althea Gibson became the first black woman to win this title.
Stephens and Keys have both made their breakthroughs despite having had to overcome serious injury. Stephens was world No934 when she made her comeback last month after foot surgery, while Keys has had two wrist operations since December.
Williams had appeared to be on top after recovering from an error-strewn first set to dominate the second. When Stephens served at 4-5 and 30-30 in the decider, Williams was two points from reaching her first final here for 15 years, but her younger rival won a stunning rally with a superb backhand down the line.
After going on to hold her serve, Stephens broke Williams to love.
“I don’t give up,” Stephens said after serving out for victory. “I’m not just going to give in to someone. I’m not just going to let them take it from me.”
