Serena Williams was the story of the sports world during the first week of this year’s U.S. Open, making a surprise run to the third round before losing to Australian Ajla Tomljanoviu0107 in what’s believed to be her final career match. Unsurprisingly, the hype surrounding Williams’s run drew in quite a sizable viewing audience.
A record 4.8 million viewers tuned in for the match, the most for any tennis match in ESPN history. The previous high came during the 2012 Wimbledon men’s final between Roger Federer and Andy Murray, the network announced Tuesday.