Friday 10th September 2021
“A shock? Crazy? Everything”
These two teenagers amaze the tennis world
This has never happened in the long history of the US Open: A qualifier reaches the final. The 18-year-old Emma Raducanu manages the unbelievable after Leylah Fernandez, who is only two months older, booked the final ticket.
In New York, fans love outsider stories and quickly team up with the underdog at the US Open. Whoever draws the sympathies from the stands on Saturday in the sensational women’s final on his side is exciting, possibly decisive and completely open: Because both the 19-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez and her two months younger opponent Emma Raducanu from Great Britain have them People in the US metropolis have been enraptured with their tennis in the past two weeks – and ripped off their stools with the completely unexpected entry into the final (10 p.m. CEST / Eurosport) at the last Grand Slam tournament of the year. “It’s true: Nothing is impossible,” said Fernandez with a little distance to the huge cheers.
The last time there were two teenagers in the final of a Grand Slam was at the US Open in 1999, when Serena Williams, who is now almost 40 and who has been injured since Wimbledon, won against Martina Hingis. But the fact that a qualifier makes it to the final at one of the four most important tennis tournaments in the world, as the 18-year-old Raducanu has now succeeded, has never happened since the Open Era began in 1968 and professionals and amateurs at the same time Be allowed to compete in the tournament. “A surprise? A shock? Crazy? All of it,” said Raducanu after her 6: 1, 6: 4 against the Greek Maria Sakkari. Fernandez had previously defeated the world number two Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus 7: 6 (7: 3), 4: 6, 6: 4.
“Done some incredible things”
The ex-winners Angelique Kerber and Naomi Osaka failed because of the cheeky and offensively playing newcomer Fernandez. “I think I’ve achieved some incredible things,” she said with a smile at the press conference as the assembled journalists tried one more time to get to know this player, who was only known to insiders, better. “A teacher told me to quit tennis because I will never make it and should just concentrate on school,” said Fernandez. “That wasn’t funny at the time, but I’m glad she said that because I had that sentence in my head every day.” She also shared the tough times when her mother went to California to better support her older daughter’s tennis dream. “We’ve been through a lot as a family,” she said.
Fernandez and Raducanu have a few parallels. Both have a Canadian passport and the parents are immigrants. Fernandez’s mother is of Filipino descent and the father is from Ecuador. The Romanian father and the Chinese mother Raducanus moved with their two-year-old daughter from Toronto to London, she grew up in England and plays under the British flag. At Wimbledon, she had already made it to the round of 16, but had to give up, at that time overwhelmed by the emotions and the sudden hype about her person. Now, like Fernandez, she is facing the biggest game of her career – the next generation is pushing forward, and women’s tennis is doing well.
“Young, fearless”
Neither of the two young women seems to be intimidated by the developments of the past few days. Sure, the overwhelming after every further victory was there for the time being – the incredulous laugh that quickly gave way to a smile on the face. “They are both young, fearless and have nothing to lose against us,” said the defeated Sakkari and then had to laugh, embarrassed, it sounded guilty. “You’re doing it the right way.”
When Raducanu was approached immediately after the success against the 26-year-old Greek about the now possibly rising expectations, she just laughed and said: “Are there any expectations? I am a qualifier. There is no pressure on me on paper.” She just wants to play briskly again and offer the spectators a good time – like Fernandez: “That’s what I try to do: bring magic to the field. I try to put on a show for every spectator.” The people at Arthur Ashe Stadium have something to look forward to.
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