Serena Williams nearly tripped as she scrambled to get to the ball on match point. She managed to make contact, but the ball sailed into the net and it was over. Bianca Andreescu became the 2019 US Open champion, and Williams became the runner-up in her fourth straight major final.
The capacity crowd of 24,000, which had been feverishly cheering for Williams throughout the match, now roared for its new queen.
Williams graciously congratulated her opponent -- the latest in a string of young players who gushed about pulling off the upset against their childhood hero -- but the disappointment was evident on her face, and in her body language.