Professional tennis returned to one of its biggest stages after a long hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic. There were no spectators after more than 700,000 attended last year. Serena Williams' quest for her elusive 24th Grand Slam title to tie Margaret Court ended with a loss to Victoria Azarenka in the semifinals. In the women's final, Naomi Osaka rallied for a three-set win over Azarenka to capture her second US Open title.
On the men's side, Dominic Thiem bounced back after losing the two opening sets, taking down Alexander Zverev 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (6) for his first Grand Slam title. Here's all you need to know about the second Grand Slam of 2020, including results and analysis from the USTA Billie Jean National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York.
2020 US Open schedule and coverage
Dates: Aug. 31 through Sept. 13
Men's singles bracket | Women's singles bracket | Draw analysis
How to watch the US Open
ESPN is presenting the US Open for the 12th consecutive year -- and the sixth year as exclusive domestic media partner -- providing live coverage. Don't have ESPN? Click here to subscribe to ESPN+.
Listings in global territories:
Australia: ESPN
Canada: TSN, RDS
Caribbean: ESPN
Europe: EuroSport
India: Star Sports
Japan: WOWOW
Latin America: ESPN
North Africa/Middle East: BeIN Sport
United Kingdom: EuroSport and Prime Video
United States: ESPN and Tennis Channel
Southeast Asia: Fox Sports Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa: SuperSport
US Open men's final: Thiem holds off Zverev
Dominic Thiem secures the deciding point to win the US Open men's final over Alexander Zverev.
Peter Bodo: Dominic Thiem fell two sets behind but patiently tracked down and outlasted his friend and rival Alexander Zverev to win his first Grand Slam title in his fourth attempt in a major final. Read
Bodo: Neither Rafael Nadal nor Novak Djokovic is around to stop Dominic Thiem in a major final this time. But the three-time Grand Slam finalist can't underestimate first-timer Alexander Zverev at the US Open. Read
Bodo: Novak Djokovic's departure via default has given Alexander Zverev the chance to finally break through and become the first newly minted Grand Slam champion in six years. Read
US Open women's final: Osaka tops Azarenka
After winning the US Open women's final, Naomi Osaka is asked what message she wanted to share by wearing masks bearing names of Black victims of racial injustice and police brutality.
D'Arcy Maine: Naomi Osaka set two goals during the coronavirus hiatus: Win the US Open and call attention to racial injustice. She achieved both in a big way with her comeback victory on Saturday. Read
Soraya Nadia McDonald: Naomi Osaka made sure Black lives mattered at the US Open . Read
Bodo: Naomi Osaka lost the first set but remained calm, cool and collected as she found a way to bounce back against Victoria Azarenka and win the US Open women's title. Read
Social reaction: Everyone from LeBron James to Billie Jean King saluted Naomi Osaka for her stunning comeback to win Saturday's US Open women's final. Read
Maine: Naomi Osaka found her voice and is speaking out against injustice. Victoria Azarenka found serenity and with it, success. Each is searching for a third major title when they meet for the US Open championship Saturday. Read
Maine: With all the strange circumstances around this year's US Open, it might have been Serena Williams' best chance to make history. Now it's back to the drawing board. Next up, Paris. Read
Maine: Naomi Osaka has seven masks -- the number of matches it takes to win the US Open -- to honor victims of racial injustice, and she is determined to wear each one. Read
US Open Week 2
Serena Williams wins a hard-fought battle against Tsvetana Pironkova to advance to the US Open semifinals.
Maine: For Serena Williams, it isn't about how she starts. It's about how she finishes. But she knows that to win her record-tying 24th Grand Slam title, she will have to stop the slow starts. Read
Maine: Surging American Jennifer Brady is aiming to become the first tennis player to take down US Open favorite Naomi Osaka in a major semifinal. Read
Bodo: No Canadian man has ever reached the US Open semifinals, but Denis Shapovalov might have the right mindset and the skill to be the first. Read
Maine: American Shelby Rogers is excited, but not surprised, to advance to her first US Open quarterfinals after eight previous attempts. Read
Roundtable: What does Serena need to do to win her 24th major title, and how did Novak Djokovic's default change the game? Our experts offer prose and predictions for the final week of the US Open. Read
Maine: Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Tsvetana Pironkova are balancing motherhood with tennis as all three advanced to the US Open quarterfinals. Read
Bodo: Dominic Thiem has made major strides the past few years, but a Grand Slam championship has continued to elude the 27-year-old Austrian. Read
Maine: After working her way up the tennis rankings, 25-year-old Jennifer Brady has become one of the hottest players since the season restarted. Read
Djokovic defaulted from US Open
Novak Djokovic hits a line judge with a ball, defaulting and sending opponent Pablo Carreno Busta to the quarterfinal.
Bodo: Novak Djokovic arrived in New York hoping to revive his reputation. Instead, the top seed left the US Open with a default after inadvertently striking a line judge with ball smacked in anger in the round of 16. Read
Bodo: What is a default? What rules did Novak Djokovic break that caused the top-ranked player's removal from the US Open? What are other notable occasions of the default being used? Read
Maine: The rules are the rules, or at least that's what many former and current tennis players said after top-seeded Novak Djokovic was defaulted from his fourth-round match at the US Open. Read
Jeremy Willis: Novak Djokovic was ousted from the US Open for breaking a rule. He's not the only player to see refs and rule-breaking change a championship. Read
US Open Week 1
Serena Williams drops the first set, but is able to recover and take down Sloane Stephens 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Maine: Without a crowd to lift her, Serena Williams relied on her intensity to rally past Sloane Stephens after losing the first set of their third-round matchup. Read
Bodo: Giovanni Bartocci, owner and chef of Matteo Berrettini's favorite New York City restaurant, isn't allowing coronavirus protocols to keep him from cheering on his favorite player. Read
Maine: Serena Williams owns a 5-1 record over Sloane Stephens, but with a fourth-round ticket on the line at the US Open, history shows anything is possible. Read
Maine: No. 1 Karolina Pliskova was among four of the top 10 seeds to lose in the second round, opening up the 2020 US Open women's draw to more surprises. Read
Bodo: The rule requiring tennis players to handle their own towels because of COVID-19 health protocols is unpopular and, to many, even problematic. Read
Maine: It's quite a different look for the US Open this year. But despite the restrictions and the circumstances, players are seemingly making the best of it. Read
Maine: With many top players opting out, heavy restrictions and the absence of fans, the US Open looks dramatically different this year. But despite it all, there will be no shortage of fun on the doubles court. Read
Maine: With no fans or outside distractions, Serena Williams can keep her focus on tennis as she once again sets out to tie Margaret Court's Grand Slam record. Read
Maine: Coco Gauff didn't have the extra support she often does as she lost for the first time in the first round of a Grand Slam tournament. Read
Bodo: The lack of fans might be the most conspicuous element players and viewers must adjust to during the 2020 US Open, but it's just one of the changes of this remarkable Grand Slam. Read
Bodo: No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic has no pressing need to prove anything on the tennis court. But he does come into the US Open in need of some image rehabilitation. Read
US Open previews
As Serena Williams attempts to win her 24th Grand Slam singles title at the US Open, look back at some of her notable accomplishments along the way.
Maine: American Robin Montgomery, at 15 the youngest in the US Open main draw, is hopeful of becoming the next Coco Gauff by making a run in her first major. Read
Experts' picks: Novak Djokovic looks unstoppable, but the women's field is divided between Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams. And don't forget the young players who could make some noise in New York. Read
Bill Connelly: The bizarre 2020 sporting landscape continues Monday as the US Open kicks off as the second Grand Slam of the year. There are several opt-outs, but the tennis field features a lot of talent. Read
Bodo: Grand Slam title No. 24 has eluded Serena Williams eight straight times, but this US Open without fans will be unlike any other major. Read
Bodo: Don't look for empty seats at the fan-less US Open; what happens on the court will be central to the Grand Slam viewing experience. Read
Maine: Stacey Allaster, the first woman to be named director of the US Open, has a particularly tough assignment -- ensuring the protocols will allow for a safe and successful event in New York, once the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in America. Read
Maine: After a long break from professional tennis because of the coronavirus pandemic, some of the game's biggest names have finally made their way to Queens. Read