In the recent US Open finals, something incredible happened in the men’s and women’s singles matches. Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka’s showdown had more people watching it on TV than Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev’s match.
The numbers speak volumes. In the women’s final, where Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka battled for supremacy, an astounding 3.4 million viewers tuned in to witness the showdown. In the men’s final featuring the iconic Novak Djokovic and the Russian star Daniil Medvedev, the match held the attention of 2.3 million viewers.
US Open Finals viewership averages:
Coco Gauff vs Aryna Sabalenka: 3.422 million (with a pretty high peak at match point I’m assuming)
Novak Djokovic vs Daniil Medvedev: 2.321 million https://t.co/SUSdAemBX1
— Matt Dowell (@MattDowellTV) September 12, 2023
The Women’s singles final was the most-viewed women’s major tennis final ever on ESPN. The men’s and women’s championships averaged a combined 2.8 million viewers, up by 40% from 2022.
In the midst of these record-breaking numbers, Billie Jean King declared, “Investing in women’s sports is good business.” These words captured the significance of these numbers.
The 2023 @usopen delivered record-setting numbers:
🎾 The Women’s Singles Final was the most-viewed women’s major tennis final ever on ESPN
🎾 The men’s and women’s championships averaged 2.8M viewers, up +40% from 2022.
Investing in women’s sports is good business. https://t.co/fDzK1bIVb8
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) September 13, 2023
These viewership numbers are nothing short of monumental. They signify a shift in the way women’s tennis is appreciated now. The fact that the women’s final garnered the highest viewership in the history of women’s major tennis finals on ESPN, is a testament to the growing enthusiasm for the women’s game. Billie Jean King’s call to invest in women’s sports rings is truer than ever!
The US Open women’s singles final face criticism despite its high viewership
But there’s another layer to this story. Despite the record viewership in the women’s final, some fans weren’t entirely satisfied, making comparisons with other Majors. In the eyes of one fan, the US Open’s numbers fell short, “Lol. Pathetic numbers really compared to Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and Australian Open. The US Open is the least watched event by percentage in its own nation, let alone globally.”
lol . pathetic numbers really compared to roland garros, Wimbledon, and Australian open . the us open is the least watched event by percentage in its own nation . let alone globally . usta and espn partnership has done nothing to benefit tennis in the us . plain and simple
— Mahmoud (@Mahmoud17761) September 12, 2023
Another fan took the clock back to 2013. That year, when Serena Williams triumphed over Victoria Azarenka in the US Open final, the women’s final pulled in nearly double the viewership with a staggering 6.2 million viewers, compared to the Nadal and Djokovic men’s final, which had 3.4 million viewers.
But encouraging only based on recent numbers. Consider that in 2013, when Serena beat Azarenka in USOpen final, viewership for women’s final was nearly double at 6.2 million viewers
Nadal/Djokovic men’s final that year was 3.4 million (on a Monday)
— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) September 13, 2023
One fan even speculated hypothetically, “Would have been interesting to see what TV numbers an Alcaraz/Djokovic final would have posted. Especially coming off the Wimbledon epic, I think the numbers would have been big.”
The US Open women’s final viewership fell even short when compared to the 2022 Australian Open finals in which Ash Barty won. It averaged 3.6 million Australian viewers, a significant feat considering Australia’s population of just over 26 million. Despite its record-breaking success, the women’s singles final at the 2023 US Open faced criticism, with comparisons drawn to previous Major finals.
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