The 2016 U.S. Open took place from August 29 to September 11 in New York City, and marked the end of Serena Williams’s 309 consecutive weeks as the number-one player in women’s tennis. It also reflected an end of an era of dominance for Novak Djokovic, after two unsettling defeats in Grand Slam tournaments as well as an early exit in the first round of the Olympics.
Serena Williams faced a relatively easy draw up until the quarterfinals, in which she met a familiar opponent in fifth-ranked Simona Halep. Williams and Halep battled in a three-hour match that lasted three sets. Throughout the match, there were glimpses of Williams’s earlier shoulder injury in her lack of usual quickness around the court. After winning the third set 6–2, though, Williams advanced to the semifinals, in which she faced a 24-year-old upcoming star from the Czech Republic, Karolína Plíšková. With her large 6’1” frame, Plíšková served at speeds rivaling those of Williams herself; around 120 mph. Plíšková out-served the handicapped Williams and used old-time classics, including a masterful showcase of the serve and volley technique, to win the match. Plíšková’s cool demeanor during stressful points really helped her defeat Williams. However, Plíšková later fell to Angelique Kerber of Germany in the final. In an epic, three-set game, Plíšková’s laser-like groundstrokes and hard serves were no match for Kerber’s high level of consistency and intensity during the key points that decided the match. Kerber won the final 6–3, 4–6, 6–4, and in doing so amassed enough points to surpass Serena Williams and become the new number-one women’s tennis player.
On the men’s side, two greats fell relatively early in the tournament. Fourth seed Rafael Nadal fell to Lucas Pouille, a young Frenchman who played the match of his life, in the fourth round. Nadal was coming off numerous injuries and surgeries, and still has not returned to the high level of play he had pre-surgery. Second seed Andy Murray, one of the favorites in the competition, lasted longer than Nadal, but fell to the underdog Kei Nishikori (sixth seed) in the quarterfinals. Novak Djokovic, the number-one player in men’s tennis, faced an almost comical draw after two retirements and one walkover, and advanced into the semifinals without being tested whatsoever. After defeating Gaël Monfils in a match of spectacularly low-quality tennis, Djokovic faced third seed Stan Wawrinka in a final that epitomized the high quality of men’s tennis. Wawrinka dominated the second, third and fourth sets after losing the first set in a tiebreak. Wawrinka’s power on both the forehand and backhand sides proved too much for Djokovic, who seemed shaky throughout the match. In addition to losing the title, Djokovic also lost many of his fans by showing a lack of sportsmanship; he stopped the match two times in the third set because of an “injury” that required instant medical attention from a trainer, which turned out to be a blister on his pinky toe. Although he remains number one, Djokovic’s reign as the best player in men’s tennis seems to have come to an end.
Overall, the 2016 U.S. Open foreshadowed the great future and potential of young stars in tennis and marked the end of dominance for both of the number-one players in the world.