Two teenagers have been on a tear at the US Open for the past two weeks. Well, three weeks if you’re Emma Raducanu.
Leylah Annie Fernandez, 19, and Emma Raducanu, 18, have done the unthinkable – overcoming high-ranked opponents to reach the US Open Final. Both players are Canadian-born, with Emma Raducanu emigrating to the UK at 2-years old and now representing Great Britain.
Leylah, ranked 73rd in the world, has been ramping up over the past few months and years, winning a WTA title in Monterrey earlier this year. To get to the final, she has defeated two Grand Slam winner’s including Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber, as well the 5th-seed Elina Svitolina and the 2nd-seed Aryna Sabalenka. Talk about slaying giants (well – 6′ giants, at least.)
Three weeks ago, Emma Raducanu, ranked 150th in the world, entered the US Open qualifiers as an unseeded player in order to reach the main draw. She is following up an impressive “outta-nowhere” run at Wimbledon earlier this year, where sadly she had to pull out during her fourth-round match due to a panic attack. Returning in exceptional form, she has yet to drop a set the entire tournament, and has handily defeated opponents, including Belinda Bencic and Maria Sakkari, with impressive returns and clever plays. She is the first qualifier to ever make it through to a Grand Slam final in the Open Era.
But, to me, one of the most wonderful things has been to see both these players truly seize and enjoy the moment. The “nerves” of being in second-week Grand Slam situations for the first time, under the lights and among the cacophony of thousands of fans, are so often talked about as being a disadvantage. But, both players have seemed to enjoy their moments on the big stage – not letting the moment overpower them, but basking in the energy and using it to their advantage. When Fernandez walked on court today, you could tell she was playing from a place of joy, not fear.
Indeed, each player has truly WON their games. Fernandez has continued to fight through challenging games and made clutch, sharp-angled shots at just the right moments. Her match against Kerber was impressive from both players, with limited unforced errors and stunning winners. She won, more than her opponent lost.
And, Raducanu has quite simply made it look easy, scrubbing high-ranked, talented players off the court with ease. Seeing her defeat Sakkari tonight – aka “The Greek God(dess) of Tennis” – was simply stunning.
If you’re even remotely interested in tennis, I implore you to watch the final this Saturday at 1pm PT. One thing is for sure: there will be a new Grand Slam Champion who has overcome the odds, and a runner-up who has done just the same.
