The 2021 US Open brought unexpected outcomes, historic victories, and on-court excitement. With notable names like Sofia Kenin [1], Serena [2] and Venus Williams, Jennifer Brady, Dominic Thiem, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer missing from the tournament due to health or injury reasons, the last major of the year looked different than past Grand Slams. But match after match, we saw high-level tennis and intense rivalry. Ahead, we've rounded up some of the most emotional moments from the US Open, including upsets and a few record-setting results.
Daniil Medvedev Celebrates 2021 US Open Win Over Novak Djokovic
Russia's Daniil Medvedev faced off against world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in a heated battle for the men's singles trophy. Here, Medvedev fell to the court after winning his third and final set, copying a celebration from the video game FIFA [3]. "Only legends will understand [4]," he said after the match when talking about his display of victory.
Novak Djokovic Moved to Tears During 2021 US Open Men's Singles Final
The crowd began chanting Djokovic's nickname, Nole [5], after he won a game to make Medvedev's lead 5-4 in the men's singles final. Djokovic broke out in tears when waiting for the changeover. "Tonight, even though I have not won the match, my heart is filled with joy and I'm the happiest man alive because you made me feel very special on the court," he said in his acceptance speech. "You guys touched my soul. I've never felt like this in New York."
Emma Raducanu Wins 2021 US Open Women's Singles Final
Great Britain's Emma Raducanu [6], 18, beat Canada's Leylah Fernandez [7], 19, in the first all-teen Grand Slam final since 1999. With her victory, Raducanu became the first-ever qualifier to reach and win a major final [8].
Diede de Groot Completes the Golden Slam in Women's Wheelchair Tennis
Diede de Groot [9], representing the Netherlands, became the first person in wheelchair tennis history to achieve a Golden Slam [10] when she won the women's singles wheelchair competition. This feat occurs when you claim titles at all four majors and the Olympic or Paralympic Games in a given calendar year.
Dylan Alcott Also Completes the Golden Slam in Quad Tennis
Two hours after de Groot's victory, Dylan Alcott of Australia won the US Open quad singles final [11], making him the first man across tennis disciplines as well as wheelchair tennis specifically — and third person ever — to achieve the coveted Golden Slam.
Shuai Zhang and Samantha Stosur Win 2021 US Open Women's Doubles
China's Shuai Zhang and Australia's Samantha Stosur celebrate after out-playing Americans Coco Gauff and Caty McNally for the US Open women's doubles title. This is their second Grand Slam win together [12].
Coco Gauff and Caty McNally Accept Finalist Trophy in 2021 US Open Women's Doubles
During the women's doubles trophy ceremony, McNally put her arm around tennis partner Gauff [13], who wiped away tears. "We've been through a lot together, honestly, like ups and downs. We've had some really tough matches, but I'm really lucky to have you next to me along this journey," McNally said. "We're going to figure it out, I know we will. We'll be back here another day."
Leylah Fernandez Advances to 2021 US Open Women's Singles Final
Fernandez had a number of emotional moments [14] at the US Open this year, but this moment in particular is from her semifinal match against Belarus's Aryna Sabalenka. Here, Fernandez reacts to making it through to her first-ever Grand Slam final and becoming just the fourth Canadian to reach a major final.
Carlos Alcaraz Beats No. 3-Seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas at 2021 US Open
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz was one of the standout teens at the US Open before he retired from his quarterfinal match [15] on Sept. 7. Here, he reacts to winning an intense third-round match against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, who was seeded No. 3 in the tournament. This victory made him the youngest player to defeat a Top-3 ranked opponent at the US Open in the Open era [16]. (Note: After he won the following match, he became the youngest men's singles US Open quarterfinalist [17] in the history of the Open era.)
Maria Sakkari Defeats Bianca Andreescu in 3.5-Hour 2021 US Open Match
Greece's Maria Sakkari and Canada's Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 US Open champion [18], played a match on Sept. 6 that lasted three-and-a-half hours. Its 2:13 am ET finish was the latest of any US Open women's singles match [19]. Later on in the tournament, she became the first Greek woman to advance to the singles semifinals at the US Open [20].