Sometimes the women's singles champion at the US Open is a by-the-book scenario, with the top seed and or a familiar US Open champion waltzing their way through the draw and taking the title. This year won't be one of them.
A first-time US Open women's singles champion will be crowned this year when No. 2 seed Angelique Kerber takes on No. 10 seed Karolina Pliskova. Kerber has never been in a US Open final before, while Pliskova had never made it to the second week of a Grand Slam before this fortnight.
But while either player will be a surprise winner, there have been plenty of women over the years who nobody expected to be the last woman standing in New York. Here are five recent examples:
Serena Williams (1999)
It's hardly a shock when Serena wins a Grand Slam these days, but nearly 20 years ago, it was expected that Venus would be the first in the family to grab a major title. The 17-year-old American was tagged as a future Grand Slam champion in 1999, but had yet to reach the quarterfinals of a major tournament.
Competing in just her seventh major, Serena survived four consecutive three-set matches to reach the final. She appeared to get stronger with each passing encounter, eliminating Monica Seles in the quarterfinals and Lindsay Davenport in the semis. But she saved her best tennis for the final against world No. 1 Martina Hingis. Serena missed her chance to serve out the match at 5-3 in the second set, but regrouped to prevail in a tiebreak and put her hands to her head in disbelief. She became only the second African-American woman to win the US Open, joining Althea Gibson who won in 1957-58.
Afterward, she received a phone call from then-President Bill Clinton.
"It's really amazing," she said after the match. "I mean, you totally prepare for this. I was always one to say, 'I want to win the US Open. I want it.'"
Svetlana Kuznetsova (2004)
Kuznetsova was on the rising stars of the game, having started the year outside the Top 30 and arriving in New York inside the Top 10. However, she had never reached a Grand Slam semifinal prior to arriving in New York, and there was little indication she would fare better than a deep run. But Kuznetsova's forehand was in full force throughout the tournament, and the Russian didn't drop a set on her way to the title, taking out Lindsay Davenport in the semifinals and Elena Dementieva in the final.
"I am so happy to win this title," said Kuznetsova. "When I won I just put my hands in the air. I was so excited. I went into shock."
Kim Clijsters (2009)
Clijsters won her first Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2005, but never got to properly defend it. An injury kept her away in 2006, and she retired from the sport in April 2007. But after more than two years away and becoming a mom to daughter Jada, Clijsters returned to the tour in August 2009 and was given a wild card into the US Open.
In just her third tournament back, an emotional Clijsters became teary-eyed after defeating Venus Williams in the fourth round and then upset Serena in the semifinals. The final against Caroline Wozniacki was nervy from both players, but Clijsters came on out on top with an overhead winner and crouched to the ground in disbelief.
Jada was arguably more excited than everyone, coming out on court for the trophy ceremony and then running around Arthur Ashe Stadium with wild abandon.
"We tried to plan her naptime a little bit later so she could be here today. It's the greatest feeling in the world, being a mother," said Clijsters to the crowd.
Samantha Stosur (2011)
The low-key Aussie was seemingly held away from the spotlight as long as possible during the 2011 US Open. Due to rain and rescheduling, none of her matches leading into the final was played in Arthur Ashe Stadium and only her second-round win was in Louis Armstrong Stadium. But she unleashed in the final against Serena Williams, playing arguably the best match of her career. Hitting forehand winners at will, she dropped just five games and became the first Australian women's champion at the US Open since Margaret Court in 1973.
"I think I had one of my best days," said Stosur. "I was very fortunate to be able to do it on this stage in New York. I've been dreaming about this since I was 10, since I knew what a Grand Slam was."
Flavia Pennetta (2015)
The US Open has always been Pennetta's best Grand Slam, with all but one of her quarterfinal appearances in majors coming in New York. But nobody, not even Pennetta herself, expected to win the title.
She stunned Petra Kvitova in the quarterfinals and No. 2 seed Simona Halep in the semifinals. The final against Roberta Vinci was the first all-Italian final in Grand Slam history, even prompting an appearance from Italy's prime minister. Pennetta nailed a forehand winner on match point and threw her racquet in the air before embracing her good friend.
And in perhaps the greatest mic drop in tennis history, Pennetta announced her retirement from the sport just minutes after lifting the trophy.
"When you have to play 24 weeks in the year, you have to fight every week. And if you don't fight every week in the same way I did today, it's gonna be bad. So this is the perfect moment, I think," said Pennetta. "It was a really hard decision to make, but I'm really happy that I did it."