US Open tennis 2021 final as it happened - Emma Raducanu beats Leylah Fernandez to lift the title
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Updated 11/09/2021 at 22:42 GMT
Emma Raducanu beats Leylah Fernandez 6-4 6-3 in the FINAL of the 2021 US Open to become the first British woman to lift a Grand Slam title since Virginia Wade at Wimbledon in 1977. The 18-year-old qualifier charged through the tournament with a fairytale run in which she did not drop a set.
'She's playing incredible tennis' - Wilander on Raducanu ahead of final with Fernandez
The champion speaks!
Emma Raducanu salutes her fellow teenage starlet's run to the final and says she hopes she will have many more matches against Fernandez in the future.
Thank you to everyone here, thank you to New York for making me feel at home from my first qualifying match. You've spurred me on through some really difficult moments, and I hope me & Leylah put on a good performance today."
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2021/09/12/3217204-65899348-2560-1440.jpg)
Emma Raducanu of Great Britain celebrates winning match point to defeat Leylah Annie Fernandez of Canada during the second set of their Women's Singles final match on Day Thirteen of the 2021 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
Image credit: Getty Images
What a wonderful speech from Leylah
It is incredible. I have no idea what to say. Today is going to be hard but Emma played amazing. Congratulations. I am very proud of myself and having the New York crowd has been amazing. Thank you so much New York. Thank you everyone."
That winning moment
The rise and rise of Raducanu
What a meteoric rise for Emma. She will move up to 23 in the world on Monday and will become the British No.1. Incredible.
GAME, SET AND MATCH! - RADUCANU 6-4 6-3 FERNANDEZ
The dream DOES become reality for the teenage qualifier. Britain’s 18-year-old Emma Raducanu wins the US Open on debut at Flushing Meadows and in just her second ever appearance in the main draw at a major. She serves it out on her third match point from deuce after saving two break points to cap a magnificent one hour and 51-minute battle. She is the first British woman to win the US Open since Virginia Wade in 1968 and the first to lift a Grand Slam title since Wade’s Wimbledon triumph in 1977.
Raducanu serves for the US Open title
The Kent teenager moves two points from victory at 30-15 but then comes unstuck as Leylah digs deep once more. A booming forehand earns her a break point and Emma cuts her leg sliding in the midst of the drama. A medical time-out is called for her to receive treatment. Fernandez isn’t happy… what a moment to stop!
After a few tense moments, Raducanu is patched up and returns to court trailing 30-40 as she tries to serve out for the title...
RADUCANU 6-4 5-3 FERNANDEZ
What a hold! Fernandez refuses to go down just yet. She somehow survives two match points before unloading a brave and quite brilliant forehand winner up the line. A fantastic rally follows it with Emma first to blink. She will now serve for the title.
RADUCANU 6-4 5-2 FERNANDEZ
Nothing fazes this British teenager. What a star. She consolidates with aplomb and is now just one game away from becoming a Grand Slam champion!
BREAK! - RADUCANU 6-4 4-2 FERNANDEZ
That’s incredible anticipation – and it’s a break too! Raducanu sees Leylah charge to mid-court to surely belt away a forehand. The 18-year-old guesses right and with rapid reactions flashes a pass down the line to take the game. The fairytale is edging ever closer to reality for the GB starlet.
RADUCANU 6-4 3-2 FERNANDEZ
There’s a shared fist pump between coach and player as Raducanu finds a big serve down the T to keep Leylah at arm’s length and regain the scoreboard advantage.
BREAK! - RADUCANU 6-4 2-2 FERNANDEZ
Bang! Raducanu secures the instant break back. The Kent teenager follows up a supreme defensive lob with a sumptuous crosscourt backhand to earn the chance at 30-40 before rasping a return winner to halt Fernandez’s comeback bid from gaining greater traction.
BREAK! - RADUCANU 6-4 1-2 FERNANDEZ
This time Raducanu’s serve is the one placed under the spotlight as the world No.73 looks to build upon that recovery by snaring two break points of her own. The Brit storms back, saving both and earning game point but again Fernandez won’t let up. The Canadian earns a third with a crosscourt forehand winner and makes the breakthrough when Emma zaps a backhand into the net.
RADUCANU 6-4 1-1 FERNANDEZ
Wow. What a comeback from Leylah. A fifth double fault has a Fernandez-pro crowd murmuring anxiously and she’s soon facing triple break point when a miss-hit from Emma leads to a forehand error from the Canadian. It looks bleak given the momentum of the match but once more the 19-year-old shows her resilience with some brave crosscourt groundstrokes, a scintillating backhand up the line and a flurry of clutch serves as she reels off five points on the spin to get out of dodge.
RADUCANU 6-4 1-0 FERNANDEZ
In. The. Zone. Emma fires down her first ace, lands another big serve and finishes off a highly confident hold to 15 with her 13th winner of the match via a sharp forehand.
SET! - RADUCANU 6-4 FERNANDEZ
Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu takes an outstanding opening set in the 2021 US Open! The qualifier tees up two set points with a sizzling crosscourt return winner but shakes her head in frustration as Fernandez digs deep to wipe them both out. The Canadian saves a third but when the fourth comes along from deuce Emma steps in and rifles a forehand up the line to strike first blood. It’s taken 58 minutes but what an absolute spectacle it’s been. More of the same please.
RADUCANU 5-4 FERNANDEZ
Deep in the first set of your maiden major final in a tight, high calibre encounter, this is the type of service game you want. In the context of the match, it’s relatively routine as Raducanu applies that scoreboard pressure with a solid hold to 15.
RADUCANU 4-4 FERNANDEZ
That’s just clutch. Raducanu attacks to apply some heat at 15-30 and then again at deuce when the Canadian slaps a wayward forehand well wide. Leylah has made a habit of handling high pressure moments against some of the world’s best on her run here and she digs out her finest to ease out of danger. A brilliant forehand to the postage stamp and a wide, swinging serve ensure this remains so finely poised eight games in.
RADUCANU 4-3 FERNANDEZ
This is already some match. The baseline exchanges are an absolute joy to watch. Raducanu puts away a brilliant volley at the net before blowing a routine one. She shrugs it off and comes out on top in back-to-back barnstorming rallies, thundering a pair of forehand winners to see out the game.
RADUCANU 3-3 FERNANDEZ
That’s a huge slice of luck for Leylah. She fizzes a forehand towards the open court but it slaps high into the net tape and somehow rolls over. She apologies to Emma but it’s on game point and proves decisive. The Brit had her chances there as she swept a forehand just into the tramlines at 30-30 after Fernandez’s third double fault of the match had opened the door.
RADUCANU 3-2 FERNANDEZ
Emma double faults for the second time and needs to hustle from 0-30 down. Typically, she responds in style as she follows up a blistering forehand with some much-needed first serves to reassert her authority and nudge the board.
RADUCANU 2-2 FERNANDEZ
Raducanu threatens a recovery from 40-0 down when her opponent takes a ball out of the air on the drive volley and blazes it way off court. A big serve ensures the miss is academic as Fernandez levels it up.
BREAK! - RADUCANU 2-1 FERNANDEZ
What a response from Leylah. She dishes out the treatment on the return game, turning the screw just like Raducanu did to her. She’s frustrated on three break points but gets another when Emma double faults. The Brit then crunches a crosscourt backhand attempt into the net and it’s an instant break back for the Canadian.
BREAK! - RADUCANU 2-0 FERNANDEZ
What a game! If that’s an appetiser of what’s to come, then we could be in for a treat. Emma immediately goes on the attack on her return game and leaves the Canadian scrambling. A double fault contributes to triple break point but the 19-year-old responds, turning defence into attack with a vicious forehand winner on her way to saving all three. The Kent teenager then sees a fourth and fifth opportunity go begging as they take it in turns to conclude some exhilarating rallies with trademark big hitting that has been the hallmark of their runs to the final. Eventually Raducanu gets a sixth chance and it’s a scream of ‘let’s go!’ as she belatedly converts. The GB starlet is off to a flyer.
RADUCANU 1-0 FERNANDEZ
It’s a promising start from both players. Fernandez rasps a crosscourt backhand winner to make her mark but Raducanu comes flying back as a big serve and a sweeping backhand winner of her own get the Brit up and running.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2021/09/11/3217156-65898388-2560-1440.jpg)
Leylah Fernandez of Canada and Emma Raducanu of Great Britain stand at center court before their Women's Singles final match on Day Thirteen of the 2021 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
Image credit: Getty Images
Here we go!
Raducanu will serve first in the 2021 US Open final
Here they come! Emma is first on to court and there are huge cheers to greet the Brit.
And now it's Leylah's turn. What an occasion for these two teen queens. Time for the pre-match routines - and then it's down to business.
Fernandez form
Anyone rocking up to witness this match who hasn’t been watching closely for the past fortnight should not think Raducanu is going to have it all her own way again. The 18-year-old has yet to drop a set in the tournament but her opponent has taken down some seriously big names.
Fernandez shocked defending champion Naomi Osaka, Olympic Bronze medallist Elina Svitolina, three-time major winner Angie Kerber and world number two Aryna Sabalenka en route to this final.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2021/09/10/3216207-65879408-2560-1440.png)
'It's a love story' - Fernandez's run to final 'something unreal' says Corretja
View(s) from the baseline
Fernandez: “I think we're all just super hungry to make a difference in the tennis world. We've always talked about and joked around that we're going to be in the WTA Tour and we're going to be on the big stage together. We want to make a difference. We want to make an impact in tennis."
Raducanu: “I was born in Toronto and she was Canadian, so we kind of, like, made a little relationship back then. Then I played her at junior Wimbledon. Obviously since then, we've both come very far in our games and as people.”
H2H
It's perhaps no surprise to note that this is their first official WTA meeting. They first encountered each other at an U12 tournament and also played a junior match at the aforementioned Wimbledon tournament which Raducanu won 6-2 6-4.
The final awaits
Good evening and welcome. This is our countdown blog ahead of what will be a famous night for British tennis, regardless of the result.
The players will enter Arthur Ashe Stadium around 21:00 UK time for the huge showpiece final at Flushing Meadows in New York.
We have plenty of preview content for you to enjoy before the match gets underway later.
From junior Wimbledon to US Open final
Raducanu and Fernandez faced off in junior Wimbledon in 2018, now they meet in the US Open final. The Brit only made her WTA Tour debut a few months ago while Fernandez has overcome setbacks and beat two former world No 1's to make her first Grand Slam final.
On July 10, 2018, the two 15-year-olds faced off in the second round of junior Wimbledon. On Saturday evening they will meet in the final of the US Open; the first Grand Slam final between two teenagers since Serena Williams beat Martina Hingis at Flushing Meadows in 1999.
James Walker-Roberts tracked their remarkable journey to the top of the game...
'Raducanu the favourite'
"To me, Emma Raducanu is the favourite," Mats Wilander told Eurosport. "Because she is more solid from the baseline. She moves better than Leylah Fernandez.
"I think the crowd will be for the Canadian, for sure, and they want to see a good match. It's going to be tough, but Fernandez at some point, you would think, will run out of energy.
Raducanu is a superstar in the making and she will most probably win her first major on Saturday.
"Mentally, Leylah is like a rock, incredible. She has a temperament similar to Rafa Nadal that leaves you asking, 'how do you do that?' That’s who they are.
"Emma is incredibly talented, physical, has unbelievable timing, tennis IQ, heart and enjoys it. They have both embraced it in a way that I cannot put myself in their shoes. The enjoyment part that gets the crowd going is so key for both of them.
"Emma has done it at Wimbledon and the US Open; you can do it at the smaller tournaments, but she has done it on the biggest stage which says it all. I would say the same about Emma as I would say about Leylah: if she stays fit she is going to win multiple Grand Slam titles. I cannot imagine a player like that not winning three or four majors, I really can’t.
"This final is going to be more of an open match where both Emma and Leylah are going to try and be aggressive, close to the baseline, without having a killer shot off a dead ball. Raducanu and Fernandez play in a very similar way. If Fernandez was right-handed you wouldn’t see much difference in their styles."
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2021/09/11/3216614-65887548-2560-1440.png)
'She's playing incredible tennis' - Wilander on Raducanu ahead of final with Fernandez
'A dream final'
Dominic Thiem has spoken exclusively to Eurosport about the women's final at the US Open with Britain's Emma Raducanu preparing to face fellow rising star Leylah Fernandez.
Raducanu became the first British woman to reach a Grand Slam singles final in 44 years at Flushing Meadows, and the 18 year old is on the verge of creating yet more history on the biggest stage.
Thiem, the reigning men's champion in New York, has given his thoughts about the women's final while away from the action recovering due to treatment on a persistent wrist injury.
"It’s a dream final and there were many, many great matches. I hope the final will be a great end to this tournament," Thiem, speaking in the Eurosport Cube, said of the women's showpiece.
It’s a dream final. Two amazing girls, two amazing players and two very contrary game styles - and also super different how they went through the tournament.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2021/09/09/3215862-65872508-2560-1440.jpg)
'A lot of pressure on Emma Raducanu but she’s the real deal' – Mats Wilander
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
/images.sports.gracenote.com/images/lib/basic/geo/country/flag/large/4058.png)
/images.sports.gracenote.com/images/lib/basic/geo/country/flag/large/2231.png)