"Sloane is truly one of my favourite people and to get to play her was really special," said Keys.
'I really like the way he plays, mixes in the slice, the dropshot, volleys really well. There's so many things I like from his game. Hopefully I can keep working on those and become just like him'
Sharapova, making her return to top-flight tennis after serving a doping ban, defeated Romanian Halep 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to move into the 2nd round of the final major of the year.
Kevin Anderson spoiled the American party at the US Open when the big-serving South African beat local favourite Sam Querrey 7-6(5), 6-7(9), 6-3, 7-6(7) to reach his first Grand Slam semi-final on Tuesday.
'It's always going to be ... in the years to come, 'oh, you know that guy won a US Open in 2020 without fans'. I don't think it's going to have that weight... It wouldn't be the best scenario.'
Tennis ace Martina Navratilova has married her long-term partner Julia Lemigova in New York.
Second seed Roger Federer powered to a 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 win over Roberto Bautista on Tuesday, charging into the quarter-finals of the US Open for the 10th time in 11 years.
Despite boasting 34 Grand Slam singles titles between them, Serena Williams and Roger Federer were forced to share the spotlight with a 15-year-old at the US Open on Tuesday as all three advanced to the second round.
'I definitely think it's the time to just switch off from any future thoughts or any plans, any schedule. I've got absolutely no clue. Right now, no care in the world, I'm just loving life.'
Marathon man Kei Nishikori secured a monumental upset by sweating out a 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 win over world number one Novak Djokovic at the U.S. Open on Saturday to become the first Japanese man to reach a Grand Slam final.
A golden moment for Australian Ashleigh Barty and American CoCo Vandeweghe was tinged with disappointment when tournament officials did not let them speak to the crowd after winning the U.S. Open women's doubles final on Sunday.
Defending champion Rafael Nadal failed to win a single game in the opening set of his US Open quarter-final against Dominic Thiem on Tuesday but fought back to beat the Austrian 0-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5) in match that ended past 2 am in New York.
More shocking than his departure was the manner of the 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7), 7-6,(3) loss to the Australian, with Federer simply wilting in the suffocating humidity and exiting a Grand Slam before the quarter-finals for just the fifth time since 2004.
With Serena bidding to become just the fourth woman to win all four grand slams in the same year, the US Open hype machine that already had been in top gear is now set to crank into overdrive.
Fourth seed Kei Nishikori's hopes of making another magical U.S. Open run came to a quick end on Monday as last year's runner-up fell at the first hurdle, falling 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4 to Frenchman Benoit Paire.
World number one Novak Djokovic lost to rivals Roger Federer and Andy Murray in the finals of US Open warm-up events but the Serb insists those defeats have aided his preparations for the last grand slam of the season.
Former Olympic athlete and reality TV star Bruce Jenner, who is transitioning to life as a woman.
Ana Konjuh was not a year old when Serena Williams played her first US Open match but both will be in the Arthur Ashe Stadium spotlight on Wednesday, with four gripping quarter-finals to take centre stage at the year's final Grand Slam.
Venus Williams moved within two wins of a possible sisterly showdown with Serena in the semi-finals of the US Open by beating German 26th seed Laura Siegemund to reach the fourth round on Saturday.
Fifth seed Simona Halep narrowly avoided a third-round upset with a 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 win over Hungary's Timea Babos on Saturday to keep her US Open title hopes alive.
Defending champion Naomi Osaka of Japan was upset 7-5, 6-4 by Belinda Bencic in the fourth round at the US Open on Monday as the Swiss reached the quarter-finals for the second time.
The 19-year-old's triumph, which came in her US Open main draw debut and against the undisputed queen of the sport, was the latest step in a meteoric rise for Andreescu and it dominated front pages across the country.
Novak Djokovic heads into his US Open final clash with Juan Martin del Potro on Sunday knowing he faces a challenge - a very big challenge indeed.
The 19-year-old Canadian, who a year ago had failed to qualify for the tournament but has gone on to become the sport's brightest young star.
SSerena Williams swept past Anastasija Sevastova 6-3, 6-0 on Thursday and into the final of the US Open to sit one win away from a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title.
The final will pit power against power when Andreescu takes on her childhood hero Williams, who claimed her first US Open title in 1999 before Andreescu was even born.
'Almost three hours. It's midnight now. Credit to John for putting up a great battle'
After a flawless first set from Mertens the tide turned in Andreescu's direction in the second when she fired a cross-court forehand winner to break the Belgian at love and take a 4-2 lead.
Serena Williams crushed older sister Venus 6-1, 6-2 in a shockingly subdued third round clash at the US Open on Friday to stay on track for a record equalling 24th Grand Slam title.
The fifth-seeded Ukrainian reached her second straight Grand Slam semi-final after also making the last four at Wimbledon in July.
Roger Federer handed Nick Kyrgios a 6-4 6-1 7-5 tennis masterclass by storming into the fourth round of the U.S. Open on Saturday with a ruthless display that left the Australian talking to himself and waving the white flag.
Roger Federer blamed troubled preparations for his US Open quarter-final exit on Wednesday, saying he had spent most of the time leading up to the year's final Grand Slam worrying about his back instead of focusing on training.
Karolina Pliskova suffered a narrow US Open defeat at the hands of Angelique Kerber on Saturday, but the Czech 10th seed also proved her mettle as one of the most dangerous attacking players in women's tennis.
Serena Williams will be wary of another semi-final slip-up when she takes to the Arthur Ashe Stadium court on Thursday to face 10th seed Karolina Pliskova for a spot in the US Open final.
Serena Williams stormed into the US Open quarter-finals in record-smashing style on Monday by easing past Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova 6-2, 6-3 to claim her record 308th Grand Slam match win.
Masks were required and high-fives banned, with signs reminding those in attendance to maintain proper social distancing.
Dominic Thiem will take on Germany's Alexander Zverev in Sunday's US Open final.
Frenchman Benoit Paire confirmed that he had tested positive for COVID-19. This has meant they have been barred from using any on site player facilities.
It took the COVID-19 pandemic to put a brake on Djokovic's 18-match unbeaten run in 2020, as he won the ATP Cup with Serbia, an eighth Australian Open title and a fifth Dubai Tennis Championships before the season came to a halt in early March.
I'd love to win Wimbledon and I think it's possible, says Roger Federer.
