Eighteen-year-old British tennis player Emma Raducanu won the women’s singles at the US Open grand slam.
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Photo: SITA/AP, Elise Amendola
Emma Raducanu, New York champion.
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In the final in a duel of two unattended teenagers, she defeated the Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6: 4, 6: 3. Raducanu is the first player in history to reach the grand slam title from qualifying.
She did not lose a single set on the path to life success. Raducanu is the first British winner of one of the Big Four events since 1977, when Virginia Wade triumphed at Wimbledon.
She is also the youngest grand slam champion since 2004, when Maria Sharapova won the Russian trophy on the All England Club grass. Raducanu receives a $ 2.5 million pre-tax bonus from New York. She will add 2,000 points to the WTA World Rankings, catapulting her from the top 100 to 24th place.
Nineteen-year-old Fernandez did not follow in the footsteps of her compatriot Bianca Andreescu, who won the women’s single at the US Open in 2019. However, by advancing to the finals, she achieved the best result in her career. During the tournament, she defended the defending champion of the Japanese Naomi Osakova, the Ukrainian Jelina Svitolinová and the former world unit Nemka Angelique Kerberová. Fernandez will also jump into the top ten in the world.
The last time two teen tennis players appeared in the grand slam final was in September 1999, when the then 17-year-old American Serena Williams won the US Open over the 18-year-old Swiss Martina Hingis. The duel between Raducanu and Fernandez brought great tennis full of captivating exchanges from the opening minutes, both tennis players played with great intensity.
Photo: SITA / AP, Elise Amendola
Emma Raducanu Emma Raducanu, winner of the US Open 2021.
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Raducanu started better, taking the lead 2: 0 after a break in the second game. Fernandez equalized to 2: 2, but in the end, Raducanu celebrated success, turning 5: 4 into a fourth set after a winning forehand longline.
The British played aggressively, in long exchanges she was able to push Fernandez on the defensive. As in previous matches, she benefited from excellent movement around the court. At the beginning of the second set, Raducanu did not use three breakballs and lost her service at 1: 1. The British quickly mobilized, then got four gems in a row and at 5: 2 had two swordsmen. However, Fernandez confirmed the reputation of the great warrior, averted them and reduced them to 3: 5.
In the ninth game, Raducanu shook her knee and had to ask for treatment during her opponent’s breakball. After returning to the court, she averted two breakball balls and, thanks to an ace, turned the third sword ball. The last British to win the Us Open in 1968 was Wade.
Women’s Singles Final:
Emma Raducanu (UK) – Leylah Fernandez (CAN) 6: 4, 6: 3
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