Sloane Stephens, the defending women’s champion, and Victoria Azarenka were grinding it out from the baseline in their third-round match at the United States Open when mother nature intervened on Friday.
A light rain shower prompted a brief delay as tournament officials called for the retractable roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium to be closed. Both players retreated to the locker room. Stephens, whose serve had just been broken by Azarenka, took advantage of the opportunity to change into a fresh dress and refocus.
“I was like, All right, keep fighting, keep playing,” she recalled telling herself.
Once play resumed, Stephens, the No.