Serena Williams wins 3rd US Open in row, 18th Slam

When the final ended, Williams dropped to her back behind the baseline, covering her hands with her face. Her first major trophy also came in New York, in 1999, when she was 17.

“It is a pleasure for me to win my first Grand Slam here and then this No. 18,” Williams said, her voice choking. “So I’m really emotional. I couldn’t ask to do it at a better place.”

Williams earned $4 million, a record in tennis — $3 million for the title, plus a $1 million bonus for having had the best results during the North American summer hard-court circuit. Evert and Navratilova joined her on court during the trophy and check ceremony.

Williams also has won five titles apiece at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, plus two at the French Open. Only three players have more Slams to their credit: Margaret Court with 24, Steffi Graf with 22, and Helen Wills Moody with 19.

Until the U.S. Open, though, Williams had not been at her best on her sport’s biggest stages in 2014. She lost in the fourth round at the Australian Open, the second round at the French Open, and the third round at Wimbledon, where a disoriented Williams also struggled through an odd appearance in doubles that was attributed to a viral illness.

Back at the top of her game, Williams broke Wozniacki’s serve five times and compiled a hard-to-believe 29-4 edge in winners.

“You really deserved it today. You played better than me,” the 24-year-old Wozniacki said. “You’re an unbelievable champion and you’re an inspiration to me, both on and off the court. You’re an unbelievable friend — and you definitely owe drinks later.”

Remarkably, until a cross-court backhand on the run in the final game that Williams applauded, the only winners registered by the 10th-seeded Wozniacki came on a trio of aces.

That was, in part, a result of the Dane’s iffy play in only her second Grand Slam final — she lost to Kim Clijsters at the 2009 U.S. Open — but mainly due to Williams’ relentless pursuit of every ball.

A few weeks shy of her 33rd birthday, making the American the oldest major champion since Navratilova was 33 at Wimbledon in 1990, Williams powered this way and that in her black-and-pink hightops. Wozniacki is the one training for the New York City Marathon, but she was tuckered out by the end.

Wozniacki may as well have been an extra in this Williams highlight reel. Points were directed by Williams, via serves that reached 120 mph (194 kph), forceful returns that backed Wozniacki into a corner when not producing outright winners, unreachable groundstrokes or the occasional volley.

Yes, this was all about Williams. At times, it felt as if Wozniacki were there because, well, someone needed to be on the opposite side of the net.

They’ve been pals for years, and they hung out together in Miami — heading to the beach, watching an NBA playoff game — after both lost early at the French Open in May. Wozniacki says Williams helped her get over the end of her engagement to golf star Rory McIlroy.

“We text almost every day. She’s such a great person, a nice friend,” Williams said, before turning to address Wozniacki.

“I know you’re going to be winning very, very soon, maybe even Australia,” Williams said, referring to the next major tournament, in January, “so I got to go home and get fit again so I can be ready for you there.”

The friendship between Williams and Wozniacki did not matter one bit, of course, while they played with so much at stake as early evening shadows moved across Arthur Ashe Stadium.

As Williams put it beforehand, referring to her older sister, “If I can play Venus, I can play anybody.”

Sure looked that way Sunday.

Bryan brothers win 5th U.S. Open doubles title, 100th title overall

For their 100th tournament title, the Bryan brothers broke out a new victory celebration.

Not that they planned it this way. The twins were so excited to win their first Grand Slam championship in more than a year that they botched their signature chest bump at Sunday’s U.S. Open final.

Mike wound up leaping into Bob’s arms after they beat 11th-seeded Spaniards Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez 6-3, 6-4.

“I don’t think we have ever done this kind of ‘Dirty Dancing’ swan dive,” said Mike, who faulted his brother for not lifting off. “That was a first.”

“You felt light as a feather,” Bob teased him.

Nothing was going to faze them after they tied a record with their fifth U.S. Open men’s doubles title. Richard Sears and James Dwight also won five — way back in the 1880s.

The Bryans now own the Open-era mark, moving ahead of Bob Lutz and Stan Smith. It’s also the brothers’ 16th major championship, extending their record.

“I was having flashbacks to my whole career towards the end of that match,” Bob said. “It was wild. I was thinking juniors, college.”

They played their first tournament at age 6 in Agoura Hills, California, when they met in the novice singles final and won the doubles. The trophies have piled up since: NCAA championships, Olympic gold medals.

But the top-ranked Bryans hadn’t celebrated one of these Grand Slam titles since 2013 Wimbledon, an eternity by their standards. They were in danger of finishing a year without a major championship for the first time since 2004.

Back at their home Grand Slam event, the 36-year-old Americans ended the drought.

Asked if they believed in karma, Mike joked, “We pick up trash when we see litter on the street.”

After tough three-set victories in their past two matches, they controlled play against Granollers and Lopez, who beat them in the French Open quarters en route to the Spaniards’ first Grand Slam final.

“It was kind of our best match of the tournament against a really tough team that posed a lot of challenges,” Mike said.

About the only thing that went wrong Sunday was during their post-match news conference, when Mike tried to beckon to Bob’s 2-year-old daughter Micaela to join them on the podium. She took a few hesitant steps forward then burst into tears while her little brother, Bobby Jr., babbled away.

Their dad and uncle have long said they plan to play through the 2016 Olympics, though they won’t promise they’ll retire then.

“No exit strategy,” Mike said.

They already owned by far the most tournament titles of the Open era, which started in 1968. Now they’ve achieved a nice round number.

“It’s always sweet winning a Grand Slam,” Mike said. “This just adds some extra whip cream and cherries and nuts on top.”