Stephens prevails in her first Grand Slam final despite 11-month layoff for injury.
Sloane Stephens has won her first U. S. Open title, cruising past Madison Keys 6-3,6-0 in Saturday’s women’s final.
Stephens, 24, broke Keys’ serve twice in the first set, winning the opener with relative ease. Keys, 22, appeared nervous and committed 17 unforced errors in the first set. It was the first Grand Slam final for both.
Stephens was unseeded at this U. S. Open after an 11-month layoff for a foot injury. She beat No. 9 seed Venus Williams in the semifinals and No. 16 Anastasija Sevastova in the quarterfinals.
It was the first time two American women played for the title since 2002, when Serena and Venus Williams met in the final. Serena won the match.
Stephens considers Keys one of her closest friends on tour and said it would be tough to play against her.
Both Keys and Stephens experienced their first taste of Grand Slam success at the Australian Open. Keys was a semifinalist in Melbourne in 2015, Stephens did the same two years prior.
