
Many fans around the world tuned in for Serena Williams’ final singles match.
An ESPN press release revealed that Friday night’s U.S. Open matchup between Williams and Ajla Tomljanovich averaged 4.6 million viewers. That broke a record for the network’s most-watched tennis event, besting the 3.9 million average viewers who saw Roger Federer defeat Andy Murray in the 2012 men’s Wimbledon finals.
The ratings peaked at 6.9 million viewers in the 10:15 p.m. quarter-hour when fans realized they were likely witnessing Williams’ farewell match.
Her presence has led to ESPN’s most-viewed U.S. Open through five days since The Worldwide Leader began airing the major in 2009.
Furthermore, her first-round win over Danka Kovinic was ESPN’s most-watched U.S. Open telecast on an opening day. Her second-round upset over Anett Kontaveit garnered 3.6 million average viewers.
It’s no surprise the 23-time Grand Slam champion drew additional eyeballs in the final tournament of her decorated career.
The 40-year-old inspired hope of a magical run with two throwback victories in Queens. While Williams fell short on Friday night, she fought to win the second set via a tiebreaker and refused to relent on a back-and-forth advantage for the match’s final point.
It wasn’t a moment sports fans wanted to miss.