Noah Lyles Gabby Thomas US Open — Noah Lyles, Gabby Thomas, and Suni Lee attended US Open 2024 final | Image Source: Getty

Noah Lyles, Gabby Thomas, Suni Lee & other Olympic medalists attend Jessica Pegula vs Aryna Sabalenka US Open 2024 final

Modified Sep 08, 2024 12:44 GMT

The women’s singles event at the 2024 US Open wrapped up on Saturday, September 7, with a final showdown between Jessica Pegula and Aryna Sabalenka. The match drew a star-studded crowd, including Olympic medalists Noah Lyles, Gabby Thomas, Suni Lee, and others, all eager to see who would claim the trophy at Flushing Meadows this year.

The day held special significance for American fans as home favorite Pegula reached the championship match. However, their joy was short-lived as she fell to Sabalenka. Despite a strong effort from the 30-year-old, she was unable to overcome the Belarusian, who reigned supreme with a 7-5, 7-5 victory.

Lyles, Thomas, Lee, Rai Benjamin, and Suni Lee were among the notable celebrities who graced the event with their presence. Basketball legend Steph Curry attended with his wife, Ayesha, and Mikaela Shiffrin was also in the crowd. Other prominent figures included 'The Office'-famed John Krasinski; 'F.R.I.E.N.D.S' star Courtney Cox; American rapper Flavor Flav; and F1 icon Lewis Hamilton.

Gabby Thomas posing with Noah Lyles and others at the 2024 US Open | Image Source: @gabbythomas on Instagram

Noah Lyles, Gabby Thomas, Suni Lee, Steph Curry, and Rai Benjamin all shone brightly at the Paris Olympics this year.

Lyles clinched gold in the 100m and bronze in the 200m and Thomas secured three gold medals, winning in the 200m and twice in the 4×100m relay. Meanwhile, Lee earned gold in the Team event, along with bronze medals in the All-around and Uneven Bars. Curry was part of the gold-winning U.S. men's basketball team, and Benjamin secured two golds in the 400m hurdles and the 4×400m relay.

Noah Lyles: "Tennis players are World Champions that play against the top in the world constantly"

Noah Lyles pictured at the 2023 World Athletics Awards |Image Source: Getty

Noah Lyles made headlines during the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, after his controversial comments about NBA players. Following his third consecutive world title in the 200m, the American expressed his frustration in a press conference, saying:

"You know what hurts me the most is that I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have ‘world champion’ on their head."

"World champion of what? The United States? Don’t get me wrong. I love the U.S. — at times — but that ain’t the world. That is not the world. We are the world," he added.

Lyles revisited the topic during his recent visit to the US Open. When asked to share his thoughts on the tournament winners and whether he considered them "world champions," the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medalist replied:

"These [tennis players] are World Champions. International players that play against the top in the world constantly, these are world champions."