You can't read about the upcoming 2015 US Open without reading about Serena Williams.
The fact that she might get a calendar year Grand Slam is, of course, amazing and exciting. However, it's so much more than that: She is singlehandedly creating a surge of interest in U.S. tennis. And, in a sport that (like most others) puts way more focus on the men, she is putting more focus on the women.
Some quick facts about the calendar year Grand Slam:
• It is also known as: The Grand Slam
• A player has to win all four Grand Slams in the same calendar year.
• If Serena wins, this will be her first.
• Only 5 singles players have won a calendar Grand Slam: American Don Budge (1938), American Maureen Connolly (1953), Australian Rod Laver (1962, 1969), Australian Margaret Court (1970), German Steffi Graf (1988)
It's no secret that American tennis has been a little lackluster lately. We haven't had an American man in the top four in some time, and due in part to the expense of getting to the top, tennis is less popular with younger athletes than other sports.
However, thanks in large part to Serena Williams, the demand for US Open tickets is up. Of course it's not all Williams. Many people want to see if Djokovic will win or if Federer has another slam left in him. However, in 2014, the average price of a Women's Final ticket (that also included the Men's Double Final) was $513. This year, the average price for a Women's Final ticket (again, with the Men's Double Final) is as of this moment $814 (based on TennisTours.com). Promenade tickets range from $175 to $295, Loge Rows G-N range from a$395 to $555 and Loge Rows A-F range from $495 to $795 while Courtside tickets range from $1595 to $2295. (Of course these numbers can still change; these are just the prices at this moment.)
Most sports usually favor the men, and the Men's Final prices are still higher than the Women's; however, this time, most eyes will be on Serena Williams. If she makes it to the finals, we may finally see that match get as much viewership as the Men's Final. So far 2015 has been a great year for women's sports. The victorious Women's World Cup soccer team came home to a ticker tape parade (the first-ever ticker tape parade in the U.S. for a women's athletic team) and Serena Williams, one of the all-time greatest athletes in the world, is putting more eyes on the much deserving world of women's tennis. Even if she doesn't win the US Open, she's already won an amazing victory.
Serena Williams Focuses Eyes on Women's Tennis & U.S. Tennis
