US Open reaches new heights in 2023

As the US Open celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Equal Prize Money this year, the 2023 event turned into a three-week-long celebration of unprecedented success, as the US Open set a three-week, Grand Slam attendance record, and again surpassed all-time highs. Above all, the US Open continues the ongoing surge (and growth) of American tennis. 

Let's take a look at some of key highlights from this year's US Open.

The US Open reached new heights for attendance in 2023, breaking its two- and three-week attendance records and becoming the first Grand Slam to welcome more than 950,000 spectators over a three-week period.

Americans continued to set the pace for the world at large on the court. Forty-three Americans competed in the men’s and women’s singles main draws at the US Open, capping a year in which the U.S. led all nations in singles main draw participants at every Grand Slam.

Above: Winners of the US Open men's and women's singles this year, Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff. Source: US Open.

Nineteen-year-old American Coco Gauff went on to win her first major singles title, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in front of a record women’s singles crowd of 28,143. Gauff is only the third American teenager to win the US Open women’s singles championship, joining Serena Williams (1999) and Tracy Austin (1979, ‘81), and her gutsy, come-from-behind performances – three victories coming after losing the first set – had only been matched in the Open Era by Serena Williams in 1999.

The USTA committed $3 million — equaling the singles champions' prize money — to the refurbishment of up to 200 courts across the country in Coco Gauff's name as part of the newly created US Open Legacy Initiative. In future cases of an American US Open Men’s or Women’s Singles Champion, the USTA will make a similar commitment to advancing the USTA mission of promoting and developing the growth of tennis across the country.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic won his record-extending 24th Grand Slam men’s singles title, defeating Daniil Medvedev. It’s the fourth US Open men’s singles title for the 36-year-old Serbian, who is now the oldest men’s singles champion in US Open history. No other player has won 24 Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era (since 1968).

Above: Florida Tennis contributor Dave "Koz" Kozlowski looks back at Novak Djokovic's big win in the US Open men's singles final (Source: Koz Kozlowski)

How was the US Open for Florida-based players this year? Check out our recap from Florida Tennis Founder and Editor Jim Martz published yesterday.

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Source: US Open. Video: Dave "Koz" Kozlowski. Photos/Artwork courtesy of  US Open.