Britain’s 18-year-old Emma Raducanu became the first qualifier to capture a Grand Slam title by defeating Canada’s 19-year-old Leylah Ferna...
Britain’s 18-year-old Emma Raducanu became the first qualifier to capture a Grand Slam title by defeating Canada’s 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez on Saturday in the US Open women’s final.
Raducanu, ranked 150th beat 73rd-ranked left-hander Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 to take the $2.5 million (2.1 million euro) top prize.
Raducanu is the youngest US Open champion since Williams in 1999 and the first US Open women’s champion not to drop a set since Williams in 2014. She has had the fewest Slam starts of any women’s Slam winner, reaching the fourth round in July at Wimbledon in her only prior Slam appearance.
Not since Virginia Wade in 1977 at Wimbledon had a British woman taken a Slam singles title, with Raducanu the first Briton to claim the US Open crown since Wade in 1968.
Queen Elizabeth II was among the first to pay tribute to Raducanu’s remarkable win. Here’s a look at some reactions from the tennis world:
SEALED WITH AN ACE 💫
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 11, 2021
The moment @EmmaRaducanu clinched the 2021 #USOpen women's singles title 👇 pic.twitter.com/5jeMlvDUb7
Playing in just her 2nd main draw at a major, Emma Raducanu is the first woman in the Open Era to win her 1st Slam in fewer than 4 major appearances.
2 - Raducanu (2021 US...
