Flashback to 1999 US Open Final

This was a momentous weekend in the history of women’s tennis.

19 year old Canadian Leylah Fernandez played 18 year old Brit Emma Raducanu for the US Open championship match. Raducanu is the first qualifier to win a major title in the history of the sport, without dropping a set. Meanwhile Fernandez defeated defending champion Naomi Osaka, 2016 champion Angelique Kerber, 2019 semifinalist Elina Svitolina and world number 2 Irina Sabalenka en route to the final.  It was a high quality match and inspires me to take a look at the last teenage final in the US Open championships.

That final in 1999 between Serena Williams and Martina Hingis took place in vastly different circumstances. This was an era where it was almost normal for teenagers to win major titles and dominate the sport.  In fact, 18 year old Hingis had been number 1 in the world since 1997! with five major titles under her belt. 17 year old Serena Williams was seen as the next big player coming through. Father Richard Williams proclaimed years before Serena would be a better player than older sister Venus. Which I am sure would have grated with Venus who was more established in 1999.

Coming into the US Open, number 1 seed Hingis won the Australian Open and reached the final of the French Open. Number 7 seed Serena Williams played a great final in Indian Wells against Steffi Graf earlier that year, their second meeting in 1999. In the semifinals Hingis took out Venus Williams in three sets, whilst Serena beat defending champion Lindsay Davenport, also in three. As you can see, the top players made the latter stages.

Hingis went into the final as favourite, although Serena was a very dangerous opponent. I distinctly recall the headline in a broadsheet newspaper here in Britain on finals weekend. It read “Hingis set for a double dose of the Williams Sisters”.  A crude headline indeed but indicative of the pre political correctness era that was the 1990s.

The match started off with Serena holding serve relatively comfortably.  From the first service game, it was clear the Serena serve would be a significant factor. Hingis got broken immediately, her serve tame in comparison to Serena’s. Serena returned Hingis’ serve with relative ease and ran to a quick 4-1 lead having saved two break points of her own.

However, Hingis was world number 1 for a reason, she was not going away and broke back to get to 4-3 and get back on serve. Unfortunately for Hingis, her serve was just too attackable, and Serena broke again to take a 5-3 lead. This allowed Serena to take the set 6-3 set but not without a bit of drama along the way, coming from 15-40 down to get the job done.

As the second set commenced, Hingis was determined to raise her level. Serena was playing a slightly riskier game, going for her shots but making unforced errors as a result. This was the new brand of tennis, where winners outweighed unforced errors was the strategy to adopt.

The jeopardy then rose suddenly, as Serena broke for a 3-2 lead in the second set. Hingis broke back immediately for 3-3 but was not enough as Serena broke again and then held for a 5-3 lead. Hingis held her serve, leaving Serena to serve for the championship and the biggest title of her career. Interestingly, the moment got to Serena and she was unable to serve out. Inexperience played its part despite Serena already having one of the best serves on the WTA tour.

Hingis gratefully received the gift and raised her level again, trying to get the backhand down the line as often as possible to stretch Serena. While this was happening, Serena’s tennis was getting more and more ragged, all of a sudden looking more like a 17 year old rookie than grand slam contender.  Hingis got herself to 6-5 guaranteeing a tiebreak. Serena joined eventually, after a very long game involving a number of deuces and set points for Hingis.  The Player Boxes were also decidedly tense; Hingis’ mother Melanie Molitor took off her hat she had been wearing earlier. Whilst Oracene Price and Richard Williams didn’t know where to look.

In the tiebreak, Serena reasserted herself to rip into Hingis’ tame second serves. It reminds of Eurosport commentator Frew McMillan when he said the player with the better serve usually wins the tiebreak.  That proved to be the case, Hingis’ serve was too attackable and Serena obliged. Despite some high quality rallies, Hingis was on the backfoot, and eventually lost an entertaining tiebreak 7 points to 4.

The victory celebrations were wonderful, as if Serena knew the significance of her achievement in the moment.  And this final had profound implications. Serena was the first black female player to win the US Open since Althea Gibson won the championships in the late 1950s. In years to come, Serena would also claim the open era grand slam record from Steffi Graf.  Moreover, Serena and Venus would inspire a new generation of black and minority players to challenge for major honours.  Including 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens and Japanese star Naomi Osaka.

Martina Hingis’ fortunes would go in a different direction. Hingis never won another major title and would initially retire in 2003 with a foot problem.  Hingis attempted to sue Sergio Tacchini for the footwear she claimed was giving her problems but her pride was hurt more than her feet.  Her game was no longer able to challenge Serena, Venus Williams, Davenport, Capriati and upcoming players like Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters.  The top players of the 2000s era needed a good serve to compete, not just a smart game.  Hingis didn’t work on her serve growing up and suffered when she should have been coming into her prime.

Official statistics of the final are hard to come by.  However, the US Open YouTube channel have made the match available for people to enjoy.