US Open ratings increase with big numbers during chaotic women's final

Wrapping up the 2018 US Open:

There were high ratings for ESPN's broadcasts of the US Open, with the women's final tied for the second-highest the network has ever got for the tournament.

The controversy-filled encounter between Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams, which saw the umpire give three code violations to Williams, drew a 2.4 rating, tied for the 2015 men's final and just below the 2.7 rating record for the 2015 all-Williams quarterfinals.

In all, the women's final attracted 3,101,000 viewers, while the men's final between Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin del Potro drew in 2,065,000 viewers.

The first 12 days had an average of more than 970,000 viewers, up from more than 940,000 from 2017. The first three days increased 20 percent, followed by an even higher 1.8 rating for another all-Williams meeting during the first week. The men's semifinals got a 1.0 rating, with more than 1.2 million watching. That is also higher than 2017.