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Emma Raducanu, 18, is the first British woman in 44 years to win Grand Slam title and the first qualifier to win a major.
Britain’s 18-year-old Emma Raducanu became the first qualifier to capture a Grand Slam title as she defeated Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, 19, in the US Open women’s tennis final on Saturday.
The 150th-ranked Raducanu completed her Grand Slam fairy-tale by beating Fernandez in straight sets – 6-4, 6-3 – to be crowned champion.
She is also the first British woman in 44 years to win a Grand Slam title.
Not since Virginia Wade in 1977 at Wimbledon had a British woman won a major tournament, with Raducanu the first Briton to claim the US Open crown since Wade in 1968.
Wade and British men’s tennis legend Tim Henman were among a sellout crowd of 23,700 that created an electric atmosphere at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the first-ever women’s Slam final between unseeded players.
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“It means so much to have Virginia here and also Tim,” Raducanu said after her victory. “To have such British legends and icons, for me to follow in their footsteps, it really helped and it definitely gave me the belief that I could actually do it.”
With each game a roller-coaster of powerful groundstrokes and sensational shotmaking, the first set hung on a knife’s edge game after game.
Raducanu forced three break points on Fernandez’s serve in the 10th game, but sent backhands long, wide and into the net. On her fourth opportunity, Raducanu blasted a forehand winner to claim the first set after 58 minutes.
