US Open 2020 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Players had to play in masks

For the first time in history, the tournament took place without fans. Players had to adhere to strict protocols involving social distancing, regular testing and wearing masks on site when not playing or practising. A number of notable players opted not to travel for various cited reasons including safety concerns and scheduling issues given the French Open had been postponed and was now due to take place just 2 weeks after the US Open.

These included both men's and women's defending champions, Rafael Nadal and Bianca Andreescu.

Answer: Benoit Paire

Benoit Paire withdrew from the tournament after testing positive for the virus and ten players known to have been in contact with Paire were placed under additional protocols. The number 17 seed was initially replaced in the draw by Spain's Marcel Granollers who declined the spot to focus on the doubles tournament, so the spot was then taken by American Ernesto Escobedo.

Answer: Tsvetana Pironkova

Tsvetana Pironkova had not played a competitive tennis match for three years coming into this tournament after taking time out of the game in which she gave birth to her first child. She beat seeded players Garbine Muguruza and Donna Vekic on her way to a remarkable quarter-final run which ended with a defeat to Serena Williams in three sets.

Answer: Hit a ball after a point which hit a line judge

Djokovic had just lost a game to make it 6-5 to Carreno Busta in the first set and he hit a ball in frustration towards the baseline. This ball hit a line judge in the throat which automatically led to him being defaulted from the match.

Answer: 2014

With the dominance of a small number of players in the men's game in the previous decade, it had been six years since a man won a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in his career when Marin Cilic won the US Open in 2014.

Answer: Jennifer Brady

Brady produced some dominant wins on her way to the semi-finals, not dropping a set up to that point, including a win over former champion Angelique Kerber in the fourth round. Brady had recently won her first WTA title at Lexington just two weeks prior to the tournament and was seeded at number 28. In a competitive semi-final match, Osaka beat her 7-6, 3-6, 6-3.

Answer: First Grand Slam semi-final between two mothers

When Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka met in the semi-finals it was the first meeting between two mothers at this stage of a Grand Slam tournament. Azarenka won a highly competitive match 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 to reach her first Grand Slam final since 2013. Azarenka had largely struggled for form in the years since the time she had out through pregnancy in 2016-17 and was unseeded going into this tournament but had won her first WTA title in over four years at the Western & Southern Open just the week before the US Open and continued that return to form into this tournament.

Answer: Daniil Medvedev

Medvedev had been the runner up in this tournament the previous year and the number three seed produced solid form until he fell one round short of the final this time round.

Answer: Osaka 2-1

Naomi Osaka won her second US Open title by beating Azarenka 1-6, 6-3, 6-3. The number four seed had previously won the tournament 2 years prior in 2018. The two players had met 3 times prior to this final, and had been due to meet in the Western & Southern Open final just the week before the US Open but Osaka had pulled out of that match with an injury. Osaka lead the head to head going in to this match 2-1.

Answer: Thiem 3-2

Dominic Thiem won his first Grand Slam title, having come from two sets down to win 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6. It was the first time the US Open final was decided by a 5th set tie break.