Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens will be putting their friendship to the ultimate grand slam test Saturday, when the pair knuckle down in the women’s final to decide this year’s US Open champion.
After a long wait the new generation of American tennis will step into the Arthur Ashe Stadium spotlight for an intriguing match featuring two players, who missed the start of the season while recovering from injuries.
It will mark the first time two American women have played for the US trophy since 2002 when siblings Venus and Serena Williams met.
“It’s always tough but I think the interesting thing about us is we have kind of been around each other for a long time,” said Keys. “You figure out how to separate your friendship from being on the court.”
Despite their history together, the Fed Cup team mates have met only once – two years ago in a first round match in Miami where Stephens came away a straight sets winner.
Their careers, however, have followed very similar paths, most recently to hospitals and an operating room.
No player has been more surprised to find herself in a grand slam final than Stephens, who just six weeks ago was ranked outside the top 950 in the world after almost a year off from foot surgery.
Stephens has been unbeatable in New York knocking off 11th seed Dominika Cibulkova, 30th seed Julia Goerges, 16th seed Anastasija Sevastova, and twice US Open champion and ninth seed Venus Williams en route to the final.
She is fully prepared for a brutal battle with a best mate.
“Love her to death,” Stephens said of Keys.
“She’s one of my closest friends on tour. It’s obviously going to be tough.”
Keys missed the first two months this year recovering from wrist surgery. She has also been working up a head of steam here beating fourth seed Elina Svitolina and 17th seed Elena Vesnina before blasting one of the biggest hitters in the game, another Fed Cup teammate in 20th seed Coco Vandeweghe, in the semis.
“I was actually just laughing and thinking who would have thought in Australia (start of 2017 season) that Sloane and I would be the finalists at the US Open?” said the 15th seeded Keys.
“Neither one of us were playing at the time.”