US Open 2021: Emma Raducanu - The qualifier on the Grand Slam throne
Emma Raducanu made one of the weirdest tennis stories of all time at the US Open.
by Jörg Allmeroth
last edit: Sep 12, 2021, 01:08 pm
When the US Open started two weeks ago, everything in the tennis world revolved around Novak Djokovic's potential Grand Slam march. There was really no story that even came close to rivaling Djokovic's mission of trying to be the first player in the modern day of the sport to win all four majors in one calendar year.
But then came Emma Raducanu . And their fabulous story began when the best and very best on the scene weren't even in New York. Raducanu, 18 years young, just finished school in London in the summer, won the qualification three times in the last week of August alone on remote outdoor courts of the Billie Jean King Tennis Center, before it was just as stormy, self-confident and then in the main draw went on carefree. The young Englishwoman won match after match with incredible ease, she was never in serious danger, didn't need a single tie-break, and moved into the tense second week of the tournament, in which the action really picks up speed and drama.
Raducanu is reminiscent of Becker
But the teenager was unstoppable, not by the Swiss Olympic champion Belinda Bencic in the quarter-finals, not by the tough Greek Maria Sakkari in the semifinals. And finally not by her 19-year-old Canadian opponent Leylah Fernandez in the final, which she won on Saturday with 6: 4 and 6: 3 and finished with a cracking ace. And so it was there in all its splendor and glory, an absolute sensational victory, the historic tennis moment in women's tennis, a breathtaking, completely improbable and rousing script that didn't have to hide in the slightest behind Djokovic's attempt to eternal fame.
Emma Raducanu, number 150 in the world rankings, the first female qualifier on a Grand Slam throne, and at her second major start - it was, without exaggeration and cheap superlatives, one of the craziest tennis stories of all time. A story that could easily take on 17-year-old Boris Becker's storm to win Wimbledon in 1985. “I am totally overwhelmed. I would never have thought all of this possible, ”said Raducanu, whose bright winner smile appeared on all British front pages on Sunday morning and suppressed the spectacular Ronaldo comeback at Manchester City. The Queen, Prince William and his wife Kate as well as Prime Minister Boris Johnson sent their congratulations to the first British Grand Slam winner since Virginia Wade's Wimbledon success in 1977 on the night of the victory. Wade followed the final live on location, proud of her long-awaited Successor: "What she has achieved can hardly be put into words."
Raducanu's only Grand Slam start before the US Open had already been dramatic. At Wimbledon, she took the hearts of the island by storm before she had to give up the last sixteen match against Australian Alja Tomljanovic because of breathing difficulties. The withdrawal also had psychological reasons, the hustle and bustle after the surprising first successes was simply too big and literally overwhelming, it was said from Raducanu's environment. In the summer, after graduating from school, Raducanu played in smaller tournaments in the USA, she got match hardness, gained stability and renewed confidence. “For the first time, I fully concentrated on tennis. It was exhausting, but it was also a lot of fun, ”said Raducanu.
Turning point in women's tennis?
And then followed, unforgettable, the 20 sets and ten matches in New York, most recently against an opponent who had just turned 19 at the US Open and who conjured up her own dream story on the courts. On the way to the final, Leylah Fernandez knocked out three opponents from the top 5, and the former US Open Queen Angelique Kerber also knocked her out - so it was not entirely surprising that she lacked the very last energy and power in the cup final. As the second winner, she was still brilliantly remembered, as an equally steeply rising force in a final that will be talked about for a long time. And that with the first female winner, who was born in the 21st century, could usher in a new era in women's tennis. “These two players are a gift for tennis. An absolute gift, ”tweeted the last American US Open champion Andy Roddick on Saturday night.
And anyone who thought back to past US Open finals, including other major women's matches in recent years, could only agree with Roddick. Raducanu versus Fernandez, 18 years against 19 years, outsiders among themselves: It was pure top-class sport, without the tiresome antics and quirks that have become common in the industry. Without grunts, moans, time wasting, discussions with referees or even trouble with your own team box. Yes, it was a teenage finals, but it was played as adult, mature and full of class as few tennis highlights lately. One sentence, uttered by the dignified loser Fernandez on September 11, 2021, also stayed with me. "I hope that after this day I will be as strong and resilient as New York has been in recent years," said Fernandez to thunderous applause from the 24,000 fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest tennis arena in the world.
Here the single tableau in New York City
nycmap