Empty Seats, Slowly Filled With Energy

It was depressing. My first United States Open match this year was the men’s doubles final, with Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares playing Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic at Arthur Ashe Stadium. It was supposed to rain, so the roof of the stadium was covered. It was humid, dark, and the resonating noise of machines never stopped. But most of all, the seats were largely empty.

The celebration of the winning team brightened the mood a bit, but the winners had to hoist their own trophy, instead of having it handed to them.

I was hoping Naomi Osaka would liven things up with a strong match against Jennifer Brady in the women’s semifinals. They played well and Osaka won in three sets. But I still felt something missing. I missed the cheers, the woos and the boos.

It was a wildly different feeling than what I had experienced in more than 20 years of covering the U.S. Open.

Then came the semifinal between Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka. The energy started to fill one empty seat at a time. Maybe it wasn’t enough to fill the entire 23,771-seat stadium, but it was exciting enough to make me forget it was being played without any paying spectators in attendance.

The coronavirus pandemic is changing our lives, how we interact with each other, how we perceive each other and even how we love our family. The changes can sometimes be overwhelming.

But the finals of this tournament were documented just like every championship before them.

One picture at a time.

\"On — On her way to an eventual victory in the finals, Naomi Osaka quietly dismantled Jennifer Brady in the semifinals.

In place of fans, Osaka and Adams played in front of signs, some of which carried protest messages.

The tone in Arthur Ashe Stadium finally started to shift in the semifinal match between Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka.

Williams and Azarenka touched rackets after their match in a nod to the social distancing required even in an empty stadium. Azarenka dropped the first set, but was able to beat Williams, who sustained a leg injury in the third set.

In a truly unusual sight, Azarenka celebrated her victory over Williams by interacting with people on a video wall.

Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares beat Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic in the men’s doubles final.

Trophy presentations are complicated because of social distancing regulations. Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva picked up their trophy after beating Nicole Melichar and Xu Yifan in the women’s doubles final.

The press room at the tennis center, normally bustling with people during the U.S. Open, was empty, with nearly every monitor turned off.

The cavernous stadium made the men’s semifinal match between Pablo Carreno Busta and Alexander Zverev look more like a practice.

Daniil Medvedev became a potential favorite in the tournament when Novak Djokovic was disqualified. But he struggled in the semifinals.

Dominic Thiem advanced to the men’s final by beating Medvedev in straight sets. He will face Alexander Zverev.

Zverev was hit with a ball by Pablo Carreno Busta during their semifinal match, but still was able to advance to the men’s final.

Osaka showed some frustration with a call during the women’s final, but she pressed forward to victory.

Osaka’s victory celebration included taking a moment to lie on the court, looking up at the sky. She said she had seen other champions collapse to the ground after a victory, and “I’ve always wanted to see what they saw.”

There were no cheering fans, but Osaka was showered with streamers following her win.

Thiem had to come back after dropping the first two sets.Credit...Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

Zverev lost to Thiem in the men’s finalCredit...Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

Dominic Thiem of Austria collapsed on the court after winning the United States Open, outlasting Alexander Zverev in a fifth-set tiebreaker.Credit...Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

Alexander Zverev and Thiem weeping before an emotional awards ceremony.Credit...Chang W. Lee/The New York Times