Spoiler:
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the US Open, we look back at the 50 champions who have left an indelible mark on this inimitable event.
Maria Sharapova embraced the US Open trophy and then thrust it proudly into the air. The trophy responded by coming undone, the lid toppling off and nearly falling to the concrete floor of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
It was Sharapova's only misstep at the 2006 US Open. A player tailor-made for New York – with the booming ground strokes, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”-inspired black dress and star power to match the Slam’s host city – she conquered the grandest stage in major tennis behind a bravura performance.
Entering as the No. 3 seed, and coming off a strong showing at Wimbledon and impressive performances during the 2006 US Open Series – reaching the semifinals in Los Angeles and winning the title in San Diego, defeating Kim Clijsters in the final – Sharapova was among the favorites in New York.
But she had been a favorite before. Much heralded as a junior, Sharapova arrived ahead of schedule in the pros, stunning Serena Williams to win Wimbledon in 2004, having just turned 17. More major hardware was expected in the two years that followed. Instead, she had repeatedly come up just short in the late stages, falling in the semifinals at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open in 2005 and at the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2006.
That baggage had no bearing in Flushing Meadows. Sharapova eased through the first week, dropping just 15 games in her first four matches, all straight-set wins, and then toppled Tatiana Golovin in a pair of tiebreaks in the quarterfinals.
play video 50 for 50: Maria Sharapova, 2006 women’s singles champion
That delivered her once again to the semis, where she matched up against top seed Amelie Mauresmo, the reigning Australian Open and Wimbledon champion. Sharapova started strong, running through the first set at love, but Mauresmo squeaked out the second, rekindling whispers that the Russian may not have the mettle to return to a major final. Sharapova’s answer was definitive: another love set for a 6-0, 4-6, 6-0 win and a spot in her first US Open final.
She continued to roll in the title match, hammering her big serve and piercing ground strokes to neutralize the flashy repertory and superior movement of her opponent, No. 2 seed Justine Henin. The result was a 6-4, 6-4 victory and Sharapova’s second Grand Slam singles title.
What came afterward was pure comedy, a trophy with a top few knew was detachable. But Sharapova was able to laugh it off, calling herself a klutz and thanking the fans of her “favorite city in the world” before resuming her parade around the court, photographers snapping ceaselessly, Sharapova beaming the megawatt smile of a US Open champion.
50 Fact: Sharapova’s US Open title gave her the second leg of the career Grand Slam, a feat she would realize at the 2012 French Open. She is one of just six women to have captured the career Slam in the Open era, alongside Margaret Court, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Serena Williams.
Maria Sharapova embraced the US Open trophy and then thrust it proudly into the air. The trophy responded by coming undone, the lid toppling off and nearly falling to the concrete floor of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
It was Sharapova's only misstep at the 2006 US Open. A player tailor-made for New York – with the booming ground strokes, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”-inspired black dress and star power to match the Slam’s host city – she conquered the grandest stage in major tennis behind a bravura performance.
Entering as the No. 3 seed, and coming off a strong showing at Wimbledon and impressive performances during the 2006 US Open Series – reaching the semifinals in Los Angeles and winning the title in San Diego, defeating Kim Clijsters in the final – Sharapova was among the favorites in New York.
But she had been a favorite before. Much heralded as a junior, Sharapova arrived ahead of schedule in the pros, stunning Serena Williams to win Wimbledon in 2004, having just turned 17. More major hardware was expected in the two years that followed. Instead, she had repeatedly come up just short in the late stages, falling in the semifinals at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open in 2005 and at the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2006.
That baggage had no bearing in Flushing Meadows. Sharapova eased through the first week, dropping just 15 games in her first four matches, all straight-set wins, and then toppled Tatiana Golovin in a pair of tiebreaks in the quarterfinals.
play video 50 for 50: Maria Sharapova, 2006 women’s singles champion
That delivered her once again to the semis, where she matched up against top seed Amelie Mauresmo, the reigning Australian Open and Wimbledon champion. Sharapova started strong, running through the first set at love, but Mauresmo squeaked out the second, rekindling whispers that the Russian may not have the mettle to return to a major final. Sharapova’s answer was definitive: another love set for a 6-0, 4-6, 6-0 win and a spot in her first US Open final.
She continued to roll in the title match, hammering her big serve and piercing ground strokes to neutralize the flashy repertory and superior movement of her opponent, No. 2 seed Justine Henin. The result was a 6-4, 6-4 victory and Sharapova’s second Grand Slam singles title.
What came afterward was pure comedy, a trophy with a top few knew was detachable. But Sharapova was able to laugh it off, calling herself a klutz and thanking the fans of her “favorite city in the world” before resuming her parade around the court, photographers snapping ceaselessly, Sharapova beaming the megawatt smile of a US Open champion.
50 Fact: Sharapova’s US Open title gave her the second leg of the career Grand Slam, a feat she would realize at the 2012 French Open. She is one of just six women to have captured the career Slam in the Open era, alongside Margaret Court, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Serena Williams.
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