When it was over, Clijsters collapsed to the ground and started crying - tears of joy, probably mixed in with a little bit of shock, too. Her 18-month-old daughter, Jada, was in a suite at the court.
It was all very a different scene from the night before, when Clijsters' semifinal win over Serena Williams was decided on a point penalty, and the 26-year-old Belgian stood behind the baseline, looking bewildered as Williams ran over to shake her hand.
Williams' tirade may have been the talk of the US Open. But Clijsters was the winner.
This was her second US Open title, the last coming in 2005 - her last appearance at Flushing Meadows and before a spate of nagging injuries eventually drove her out of the sport.
Clijsters beat both Williams sisters and two other players seeded in the teens. She matched Venus and Serena power shot for power shot and showed she could play Wozniacki's patient game - and play it better.
