This story originally appeared on Sports Illustrated.
Earlier this year, Sloane Stephens couldn’t walk. Now she’s the 2017 U.S. Open champion.
The 24-year-old American defeated compatriot Madison Keys 6-3, 6–0 in Saturday’s championship match, earning her first career Grand Slam title. The match lasted just 61 minutes.
Stephens, who was unseeded entering the tournament, only made her season debut in July at Wimbledon after a long recovery from foot surgery. Stephens skipped last year’s U.S. Open because of the injury, which kept her out for nearly a year.
Both players were first-time Grand Slam finalists. Keys, 22, eased past CoCo Vandeweghe in the semifinal, but she couldn’t find her rhythm against Stephens, who played nearly mistake-free tennis on Saturday and never let Keys settle into a groove.
Stephens finished the match with just six unforced errors.
Stephens seemed to pick up where she left off after beating Venus Williams in a thrilling three–set semifinal.
Stephens has never lost the final of a professional tournament.