How Quality of Tennis Won Over the US Open
How Quality of Tennis Won Over the US Open: When it comes to the US Open, tennis certainly had the last laugh. Our quick glance at viewership and attendance numbers on TV tells us about why the quality of this tournament and other positive moments proved to be the ultimate form of entertainment.
When controversy during a tennis match takes the focus away from the action on court and instead becomes a debate about justice or game rules, the game is missed. Debate often arises over issues such as who said what or when during a match and not just the exciting moments that led to wins by players.
Some of the controversies and memorable matches from the US Open have not gone away. However, at the next US Open in 2022, people will return to watching professional tennis. The quality of tennis offered during tournaments will likely be amazing and that is what people are focused on.
This year was the US Open and some of the highest ratings ever of tennis, according to Forbes. After Novak Djokovic was under suspension due to ambiguities with vaccination, there was an increase in viewers and attendees. The 2017 US Open is not only drawing larger numbers but also larger than records previously set.
The 2022 US Open began with Serena Williams playing potentially her last tournament at her home Grand Slam. She had 3 singles match for the US Open that averaged just over 2.7 million, 3.6 million, and 4.6 million viewers, respectively.
The last of the three matches at the US Open came up – a quarterfinal against Ajla Tomljanovic. It became the most watched tennis match in ESPN’s history and was also responsible for bringing spectators out for one last glimpse of Serena Williams.
However, the event continued to be popular despite not having received as much publicity because of the lack of Williams’ participation in the tournament. On the men’s side, American youth Frances Tiafoe had a breakthrough run. The 22 time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal, was stunned by Tiafoe in Round Four.
The young American tennis player, Jack Tiafoe’s inspiring background caught the attention of those who did not already know of his humble beginnings. The youngster and his fellow American tennis stars, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff – who are ranked top-ranked American players in their respective fields of Tennis – played some incredible tennis in the last two weeks.
In the epic five-set match, Tiafoe came within a few games of clinching the title. Gauff and Pegula were stopped by Carolina Garcia and Iga Swiatek, respectively.
In the quarterfinals on Day 9, the match between Garcia and Gauff peaked at 2.6 million viewers while Tiafoe’s win against Nadal had an average audience of 2.4 million and peaked at 3.4 million viewers. The day session that also included Pegula’s match had 1.7 million viewers–more than double last year’s viewership on the same day.
Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek thrilled crowds during the 2022 US Open, with people all over the world buzzing after watching some of the shots produced by the teen from Switzerland. The 19-year-old’s journey also began a few years before September 1, 2022, when he won three consecutive five-set tournaments to reach his first final in barely a year. His quarterfinal match against Jannik Sinner was one of the best matches of the tournament.
However, the Alcaraz-Tiafoe semifinal highlighted increased interest in the US Open and was further testament to the quality of tennis on offer at the New York Major. With a highly anticipated match that started at 7 pm and went on for almost five hours, ESPN’s most-watched tennis contest wasn’t even involving Serena Williams or the other stars who always pull in high ratings.
In the halftime show of the first semifinals between Casper Ruud and Karen Khachanov, ESPN had the highest viewership for any of their other semifinal showings in all time. Alcaraz and Ruud went head-to-head in a fitting finale, with one player winning the Grand Slam title and taking over the World No. 1 spot.
The women’s event featured some top-quality matches with two favorites, Iga Swiatek and Ons Jabeur, continuing to provide excitement on the court. With a packed house watching them in their final match together, the duo contributed greatly to the viewership numbers and involvement from the crowd.