Black Women Are the Headline At This Year’s US Open
The U.S. Open is in full swing in New York, and one thing is clear: Black women are ruling the court. From viral behind-the-scenes moments and heated exchanges to fashion looks and legendary match play, our girls are owning the spotlight—and making sure the world sees it.
This year, tennis champions and icons Coco Gauff, Venus Williams, Taylor Townsend, and Naomi Osaka, as well as gymnast Simone Biles, are giving us the highlights we’ll be talking about long after the tournament ends.
Black Women At The US Open: Coco Gauff & Simone Biles Give Us A Viral Moment We’ll Replay Forever
One of the sweetest moments so far came when tennis star Coco Gauff linked up with gymnastics GOAT Simone Biles. Cameras caught the two hugging, trading compliments, and hyping each other up the way only Black women do.
Simone told Coco she’s been “popping off lately,” while Coco lit up, saying Simone has always been an inspiration. Her mom even grew up loving gymnastics. The whole thing hit another level when Coco FaceTimed her mom right behind the court so she could say hi to Simone.
We loved seeing Black girl magic in real time: one champion supporting another.
Black Women At The US Open: Venus Williams Is Still The Blueprint
And then there’s Venus Williams. She’s a multi-time Grand Slam winner and still serves lessons in dominance and style. This year, she hit the doubles court in a custom ERL fit—logo polo, pleated skirt, and visor—topped with a shearling fur racket bag. Yes, a fur racket bag. Only Venus could turn tennis gear into a runway accessory.
She’s also been showing love to designers like Luar and Khaite, looking like the icon she is. When Venus hits the court, she is going to serve in more ways than one.
Black Women At The US Open: Taylor Townsend Is Unbothered, Unfazed, & Unstoppable
Taylor Townsend reminded everyone what it looks like to play hard and stand tall. After her opponent, Jelena Ostapenko, tried to come for her with disrespect – saying she had “no class” and “no education” – Taylor handled it like a pro.
She clapped back, told her opponent to learn how to lose, and walked back to her crowd with the kind of confidence you can’t rattle. That’s the energy we need: unbothered, undefeated, and unshakable.
We also love that another champion, Naomi Osaka, came to Taylor’s defense. Also participating in the U.S. Open, Naomi didn’t shy from speaking her mind about the exchange and the disrespect. In fact, during a press conference, she said that the remarks were “one of the worst things you can say to a Black tennis player in a majority white sport.”
This year’s U.S. Open is obviously about more than tennis. Yes, we’re loving the matches, the fashion, the grit, and the excitement, but we’re also obsessed with the Black women moving the game forward on and off the court.
From Coco and Simone’s sisterhood, to Venus’ fashion blueprint, to Taylor’s clapbacks and Naomi’s acumen, this is what it looks like when Black women take center stage.
Black Women Are the Headline At This Year’s US Open was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
