Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic have controlled men’s tennis for the past two decades and, in the process, have haunted the once-great American tennis pipeline. The last American man to win a Grand Slam was Andy Roddick in the 2003 US Open, and the Big Three are largely to blame for the drought.

But, for differing reasons, America’s ghosts are not hovering over Arthur Ashe Stadium this weekend—and neither is Carlos Alcaraz, the closest Big Three disciple—and the U.S. will have the chance to defend its home slam.

The winner of Friday’s semifinal between Taylor Fritz (above) and Frances Tiafoe will determine which of the two Americans will play in Sunday’s final. It’s the first time since 2009 that an American male will make a Grand Slam final, and the first since 2006 that one will be in the US Open championship.

American women have had more success than the men this century, mostly because of Serena Williams, but in part because of other US Open breakthroughs like Sloane Stephens in 2017 and Coco Gauff last year.

While Gauff was knocked out in the round of 16 this year, American Jessica Pegula faces World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday’s women’s final, giving the U.S. women a chance to win their home slam in back-to-back years for the first time since Williams won three in a row from 2012 to 2014.

American Athletes, America’s Attention

Last week, ESPN announced a new 12-year deal with the United States Tennis Association to remain the US Open’s American broadcaster until 2037. While the deal, which is estimated to be worth $170 million annually, has yet to kick in, ESPN can expect to roll into the agreement following a strong 2024 due to the success of the American tennis stars.

Last year, Gauff’s maiden Grand Slam win over Sabalenka averaged 3.4 million viewers on ESPN, the most-watched women’s final since the network began broadcasting the tournament 15 years ago, and up nearly 100% from the year before.

However, it wouldn’t be a shocker if no American wins on either side—Pegula is the underdog against Sabalenka, and either Tiafoe or Fritz will be the underdog if World No. 1 Jannik Sinner advances past Jack Draper—but the odds won’t change fan interest in the match.

In 2022, Tiafoe was a 2-to-1 underdog and ultimately lost against Alcaraz, but the semifinal averaged 3.1 million viewers and was the most-watched men’s match of the tournament, outpacing the final between Alcaraz and Casper Ruud by nearly one million viewers.

However, what could cut into viewership numbers is the looming dispute between ESPN parent company Disney and DirecTV, which has kept subscribers of the No. 3 pay-TV distributor blacked out from ESPN networks for the entire week.

Already facing an uphill battle to build a new downtown stadium, Bears president Kevin Warren has sent a new message about how Chicago is losing out on major events as a result.

Nearly six weeks after Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said it would be “near impossible” for a Bears stadium funding bill to clear the state legislature this fall, Warren again hit on the loss of marquee competitions such as the Super Bowl, Final Four, and the College Football Playoff because Chicago does not have a domed stadium, as well as the general lack of large-scale construction happening in the city. 

“If we can’t figure this out in Chicago, shame on us,” Warren said Thursday, speaking before the Economic Club of Chicago. “What we have to do is stop looking at what we don’t have in Chicago. Let’s put our assets on the table and figure out what we do have and how we can come together, make this city even stronger than it already is, make it a better place, and create an incredible revenue stream for Chicago.”

The Bears are seeking a $4.7 billion domed stadium along Lake Michigan and near Soldier Field, the team’s current home facility. Despite asking for roughly half that figure in public support toward the development, Warren sought to reframe the request as an opportunity, rather than a taxpayer burden.

“There’s ways you can look at money [for a new stadium]. You can look at it as, ‘What do we have to give up?’” Warren said. “Or, you can look at it as, ‘What can we invest to come together?’ This is truly one of those situations that one plus one will equal 100.”

The Bears are still focused on the downtown location for the new stadium. Conversations, however, continue between team officials and suburban Arlington Heights, where the franchise owns 326 acres.

“I love that community. … The majority of our [season-ticket] base is up kind of north from that standpoint,” Warren said. “The biggest thing we need to figure out is the tax situation. We just need to make sure we get our arms wrapped around it. But we still remain the largest landowner in Arlington Heights, and I’m fortunate that we have a fantastic piece of property.”

Teamwork Strategy

The Bears have long contemplated working with MLB’s White Sox to tap jointly into a local hotel tax and provide public funds for both the NFL team’s own stadium and a separate proposed ballpark. As the White Sox are facing their own growing challenges, including potentially setting a modern-day MLB record for losses in a season, Warren remains open to collaborating with both that team and other Chicago-area pro teams.

“We’re definitely going to work together [with the White Sox] to see what we can figure out,” Warren said. “We’re wide open to being able to work with the multiplicity of the different sports organizations [in Chicago].”

The Bears have previously targeted a 2028 opening for the new stadium, and they say every year of delays beyond that adds $150 million to the overall cost. But facing complex political realities, Warren refused to put a drop-dead date on a new stadium.

“When we cut that ribbon—that’s the drop-dead date,” he said.