For the first time in U.S. Open history, three black women have advanced to the quarterfinal round—and in this case, they all happen to be American. As of Monday, Venus Williams, 37; Sloane Stephens, 24; and Madison Keys, 22, are all vying for the Tiffany-engraved trophy.
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Oh, and it’s all going down at a stadium named for an African-American tennis player, Arthur Ashe.
Williams and Stephens earned quarterfinal spots Sunday night by defeating Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain and Julia Gorges of Germany respectively, while Keys snagged her place by defeating Elina Svitolina from Ukraine Monday night.
Keys, ranked No. 15 in the world, is the youngest of the bunch and was visibly excited after her win. She spoke about the prospect of the Americans squaring off against one another.
“It’s just really exciting. I’m really happy that none of us are playing each other in the quarterfinals,” Keys said, according to the Los Angeles Times. “If there’s some all-American matchups in the rest of the tournament, I think that says really good things about women’s tennis.”
Coincidentally, Serena Williams, who usually dominates at the Open (she’s won eight titles), is home after just delivering a healthy baby girl.
We’re sure she and baby are home rooting for her older sister Venus.
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