We’ve passed through one week of action from Flushing Meadows, which is a bittersweet feeling.
Yes, the atmosphere in New York has been remarkable, but we’ve also given one final farewell to the great Serena Williams. Now, we have just one week of grand slam tennis left on the 2022 tennis calendar.
Here are five takeaways from the first seven days of tennis at the US Open:
Relentless Serena goes down swinging
It was an electrifying and emotional goodbye for one of the greatest athletes of all time.
23-time singles slam champion Serena Williams announced her goodbye from the sport just weeks ahead of the US Open in Vogue Magazine. With the knowledge that this was to be her final showing, fans came out in droves at Flushing Meadows to catch a glimpse of the legend.
Who knew she would play such terrific tennis on her way out?
Williams opened with a routine 6-3, 6-3, victory over Danka Kovinic, and that set the stage for an enthralling clash with world no. 2 Anett Kontaveit.
The six-time US Open champion produced her best on court match in 2022 with a vintage throwback performance highlighted by booming serves, scintillating groundstrokes, and an unwavering fighting spirit.
She’d knock off Kontaveit in a see-saw thriller 7-6, 2-6, 6-2.
The third round was equal parts spectacle with a packed house on Arthur Ashe Stadium, enveloped by a titanic match between Serena and Australian Ajla Tomjlanovic.
While Williams fell in three sets, her resiliency in the waning moments were unforgettable, and she held off a remarkable five match points before Tomjlanovic closed out the 7-5, 6-7, 6-1 win.
Serena gave a beautiful tribute to her fans in defeat, and shared kind words for her older sister Venus.
Williams can now write a new chapter in her life.
The first 40 years of her life have etched Williams in history books as perhaps the greatest tennis player of all time.
Kyrgios, Ruud shine in top half
The talent is staggering.
The behaviour is jolting.
When he has the latter under control, Nick Kyrgios has proven himself as one of the most elite players in the sport.
The recent Wimbledon finalist is playing the best tennis of his career this season, and after a near flawless 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over world no. 1 Daniil Medvedev, he’s suddenly a determined candidate to win the US Open.
There is simply no preparing for Nick’s game style, which mixes in a smorgasbord of drop shots, short angles, baseline firepower, and undetectable serves.
The entertainer is so keen to put on a show, it caused a total bonehead mistake in his match against Medvedev:
Kyrgios has a clear path to the championship match if he can stay level-headed and focused.
It begins with Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals.
Norwegian Casper Ruud is another potential challenger to keep an eye on in the top half.
The 23-year-old is more renowned for his clay court prowess, reaching the finals of the French Open earlier this season, but is fast evolving into an all-court player.
On hard court, Ruud made the finals of the Miami Open in early April, and advanced to the semifinals at the National Bank Open in Montreal.
Ruud’s footwork and movement is impeccable, and his baseline game is potent and reliable.
An intriguing showdown awaits with Italian Matteo Berrettini.
Is Rafa the favourite?
With Daniil Medvedev’s loss, he’s the only grand slam champion remaining in the field.
Oh, and he’s won 22 of them by the way.
Veteran Rafael Nadal has navigated some challenges through the first week, from managing his abdominal injury, to inconsistent patches of play, and even a freak racquet-into-nose accident in his second-round win over Fabio Fognini.
Nadal avoided anything serious in this incident, simply bloodying up his nose, and called it a wake-up call for his poor form in that match.
As he is wont to do, Nadal substantially raised his level the next match, dismantling France’s Richard Gasquet 6-0, 6-1, 7-5, vaporizing forehands left and right, and using his sublime court coverage to render his opponent hapless.
The Spaniard is now through to the second week at Flushing Meadows for the 12th time in his career and holds a clear path to the semifinals.
If his body holds up physically, and he keeps his ‘nose’ to the grindstone, a 23rd major is in sight.
Iga, Gauff stand out as top women’s contenders
If you’re seeking unparalleled domination on the women’s circuit, look no further than Iga Swiatek.
The fierce world no. 1 competitor has posted a season for the ages, with six titles, a French Open crown, and a 37-match winning streak (the longest in the women’s game since 2000).
After a brief dip in form in August, Swiatek looks back to her best tennis, and is yet to drop a set through her first three matches at Flushing Meadows.
The top half of the field is still stacked with heavyweight contenders, including two-time slam champions Victoria Azarenka and Petra Kvitova, Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins, and top ranked American Jessica Pegula.
Swiatek has the mental fortitude to withstand any competitor, though there is firepower waiting in the wings and eager to challenge the world no 1.
On the bottom half of the draw, Coco Gauff has stood out as the most exceptional athlete in the field, with her lightning quick court coverage, high octane serve, and a penchant for rising to the occasion in crucial moments.
Gauff awaits one of the tour’s hottest players in Caroline Garcia in the quarterfinals.
Garcia has won three titles since late June and captured the WTA1000 in Cincinnati in the lead-up to Flushing Meadows.
Canadians bow out in singles, Gaby alive in doubles
It was mostly a week of frustration and disappointment for the Canadian contingent in singles.
Montreal’s Leylah Annie Fernandez, defending finals points from last season, opened with an impressive win over France’s Ocean Dodin.
In her second match, she was overwhelmed by the powerful ball-striking of Ludmilla Samsonova, falling 6-3, 7-6.
Fernandez is still alive in the event, and will prepare for a Tuesday quarterfinal in mixed doubles with American Jack Sock.
2019 US Open winner Bianca Andreescu fared one singles victory better than Fernandez, earning solid wins over Harmony Tan and booming left hander Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Caroline Garcia defeated the Mississauga native 6-3, 6-2 in the third round at Flushing Meadows.
Toronto’s Rebecca Marino had an outstanding tournament, reaching the third round at the US Open for the first time in her career.
Her consistent summer results have her comfortably inside the top 100 of the WTA rankings, a remarkable feat for a player who took a five-year hiatus from the sport from 2013 to 2018.
Meanwhile, Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski is still competing in women’s doubles, having reached the quarterfinals with Giuliana Olmos of Mexico.
On the men’s side, Felix Auger-Aliassime had a surprising early exit in his second match, falling to Jack Draper of Britain in straight sets.
Arguably the most impressive showing in singles came from Denis Shapovalov, who produced one of the epic matches of week one.
After defeating Roberto Carballes Baena 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 to book a place in the third round, Shapovalov squared off with ninth seeded Andrey Rublev in a mesmerizing encounter of brute force power, shot making, and intensity.
Rublev was victorious in the thriller, advancing with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6(7) score line in 4 hours, 33 minutes.
The embrace between the two players afterward was just as special.
A perfect illustration of the razor thin margins of tennis is the fact that Shapovalov won 184 points in the match to Rublev’s 183.
The competitive loss is hopefully a springboard for a strong fall season to close for the Canadian.
