Fans Returned, a Grand Slam Was Chased, and Teenagers Stole the Show

The 2021 U.S. Open has by no means been conventional, but amid a fluctuating pandemic, it has been a notable milestone on the road to tennis and civic normality.

It began with a human traffic jam and could end with a Grand Slam. There were unprecedented and initially confusing medical requirements and a massive storm that stranded spectators and flooded courts. Some of the game’s biggest stars did not play, but a host of intriguing new ones took advantage of their absence and electrified audiences that seemed to make more noise than ever. The 2021 U.S. Open has by no means been normal. Attendance is down and the competition is up, but amid a fluctuating pandemic, it has been a notable milestone on the road to tennis, and perhaps civic, normality. “Everything has been a little bit less,” said Margaret Zuba, a tennis fan and actuary from Marlboro, N.J. “Less crowds, less intensity. But the tennis has been great and it’s really nice and relaxed. Yes, we have to wear masks indoors. Yes, we have to be vaccinated. But we can deal with that.”