A fourth different Grand Slam winner of the season will be crowned at the US Open on Saturday after Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens made it through to the final.
With four American women lining up in the semi-finals of a major for the first time since 1985, it was the much heralded next generation of stars who advanced into the showpiece, but the journeys of Stephens and Keys have been anything but straightforward.
The pair have been regarded as the future of women’s tennis since bursting onto the scene as teenagers and having each reached their first Grand Slam final they will give the US it’s first All-American final since the Williams sisters in 2002.
Stephens did her part first, ending Williams hopes of a third Grand Slam final of the year with a three-set victory in the opening semi-final on Arthur Ashe Stadium – coming through 6-1 0-6 7-5 and she was joined by Keys who had a more routine 6-1 6-2 triumph over CoCo Vandeweghe.