Ahead of the forthcoming 2017 US Open Grand Slam event, we remember how an unseeded 17-year old Melanie Oudinsailed to the quarterfinals of the 2009 event.

The 25-year old has recently announced her retirement from the game after numerous health strains. However, her feat eight years back remain memorable.

At Wimbledon 2009, she qualified for the event and went all the way to the Round of 16. She defeated top players like then world no. 6 JelenaJankovic along the way. At the event in New York that year she became a household name.

Oudinearned a wildcard to the event but shocked the community when she knocked out four Russian tennis stars in a row. She ousted Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova first then doubled it against Elena Dementieva. When everybody thought she had met her waterloo in Maria Sharapova, she dusted the star. She then saw off competition against Nadia Petrovato earn cult following and endless admiration. She couldn’t get past Caroline Wozniacki though, but at least she wasn’t Russian.

Oudin reached the top 50 after the feat. She went on to reach the last four at the Open GDF Suez in Paris but she could not hold on to her brilliant form for long. At the subsequent Wimbledon and US Open events, she could not get past the second round as much as people would have loved. However, at the Fed Cup she helped the United States team make the finals against Italy, defeating a game against Francesca Schiavone.

She singles career slowed but she paired with compatriot Jack Sock to win the mixed doubles at the US Open. Injuries disturbed her but she managed to lift her first WTA title n 2012 in Birmingham. And it was Jankovic she defeated again.

‘BELIEVE’ was famously etched on her sneakers at the 2009 US Open; we still believeOudin.