· Serena Seeks to Tie Career Record while Osaka Aims for First Major Title
· American Bethanie Mattek-Sands in Mixed Doubles Championship on ESPN3
Serena Williams will attempt to tie the record of 24 career Major titles Saturday at 4 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN Deportes while Naomi Osaka aims for her first in the US Open Women’s Championship. Chris Fowler and Chrissie Evert will call the match with Mary Joe Fernandez and Pam Shriver reporting from courtside and around Arthur Ashe Stadium. Margaret Court of Australia captured 24 Major crowns from 1960-73.
- The #17 seed Williams – who turns 37 this month and is 19 years removed from her first Major crown, at the 1999 US Open – returned from maternity leave in March. In six tournaments before coming to New York, she was only 12-5 (with one retirement), albeit reaching the Wimbledon final. This is her first trip to the US Open final since winning three straight titles, 2012-14. She shares the record for US Open titles with Chrissie Evert, being 6-2 in US Open finals. Williams is 23-7 overall in Major finals, including her most recent Major title, while few knew she was pregnant at the 2017 Australian Open.
- The #20 seed Osaka, at 20 the youngest US Open women’s finalist since 19-year-old Caroline Wozniacki in 2009, has never before gone past the round of 16 at a Major (Australia this year) in 10 previous tries. She won her first career title earlier this year at Indian Wells, Calif. Born in Japan but raised in New York and Florida, she defeated Serena in the first round in Miami, their only meeting.
Earlier in the day, at noon on ESPN3 in the ESPN app, the Mixed Doubles Championship will be decided between the duo of American Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Britain’s Jamie Murray who play Alicja Rosolska of Poland and Nikola Mektic of Croatia.
Sunday’s Men’s Championship
Sunday’s Men’s Championship on ESPN at 4 p.m., preceded by a one-hour preview at 3 p.m., will pit the two winners of Friday’s semifinals:
- Top seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal will square off with #3 Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 winner.
- #6 Novak Djokovic, a 13-time Major champion including 2011 and ‘15 in New York, will play #21 Kei Nishikori, who reached the final in 2014.
ESPN’s US Open Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Event | Network |
| Sat Sept 8 | Noon | US Open Mixed Doubles Championship
Bethanie Mattek-Sands / Jamie Murray vs. Alicja Rosolska / Nikola Mektic |
ESPN3 |
| 4 p.m. | US Open Women’s Championship
Serena Williams vs. Naomi Osaka |
ESPN / ESPN Deportes | |
| Sun Sept 9 | 1 p.m. | US Open Women’s Doubles Championship | ESPN2 |
| 3 p.m. | US Open Men’s Championship Preview Special | ESPN | |
| 4 p.m. | US Open Men’s Championship | ESPN / ESPN Deportes | |
| 11 p.m. | US Open Men’s Championship | ESPN2 (encore) |
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