Opinion | US Open: teenaged phenoms Emma Raducanu and Leyla Fernandez turn the world on its ear as their lives get set to change dramatically
- England’s Raducanu wins historic US Open final over Canada’s Fernandez in a seminal match that resonated globally
- Life will never be the same again for either teenager
This tennis final, and the build up to it, bore little similarity to any sporting event of recent vintage. Even the last teen tilt in 1999 lacked the drama or mystery this one did. Hingis was no normal 19 year old, having already won five grand slams. While Serena was, well, Serena – on her way to becoming arguably the greatest women’s player ever.
Fernandez came into the US Open ranked 73 in the world and kept cheating the hangman as she came from behind to take down one giant after another. First there was an incredible comeback against number three seed and two time champion Naomi Osaka before knocking off another former champ followed by the number five and number two seeds all in succession. But as unlikely as Fernandez’s journey to the final was, Raducanu’s run was completely without precedent.