Sloane Stephens defeated Madison Keys in the final, 6–3, 6–0 to win the women's singles tennis title at the 2017 US Open.[1] It was her first major title. Stephens became the second unseeded woman in the Open Era to win the US Open, after Kim Clijsters in 2009. Stephens and Keys became the first Americans to reach the final other than the Williams sisters since Lindsay Davenport in 2000, and to reach any major final since Davenport at the 2005 Wimbledon Championships.[2][3] It was the first all-American women's final at the US Open since 2002 and the second time in three years that the final featured two maiden major singles finalists from the same country.
Angelique Kerber was the defending champion, but was defeated in the first round by Naomi Osaka, who would win the title the following year.[4] Kerber became the second US Open defending champion to lose in the first round, after Svetlana Kuznetsova in 2005.[5]
For the first time since the 1985 Wimbledon Championships, all four semifinalists at a major were American, and all from the same country overall.[6]Kaia Kanepi became the first qualifier to reach the US Open quarterfinals since Barbara Gerken in 1981.[7]
This was Maria Sharapova's first major since the 2016 Australian Open, following a suspension for violating anti-doping rules. Sharapova was unseeded in a major for the first time since the 2009 French Open, was awarded a wildcard into the main draw, and advanced to the fourth round where she lost to Anastasija Sevastova.[8]
Garbiñe Muguruza became the new world No. 1 at the end of the tournament despite losing in the fourth round, after Karolína Plíšková failed to defend her finalist points. Eight of the top nine seeds (with the exception of Kerber) were in contention for the No. 1 ranking at the start of the tournament.[9]
Venus Williams became the first player in history to reach the semifinals of the US Open 10 years apart and then do so another 10 years apart (1997, 2007, and 2017).