Emma Raducanu achieved something at the US Open 2021 which no other player before her could do. The 18 year old went to the main draw after playing in the qualifiers and won the US Open title without dropping a set.
She defeated Layla Fernandez of Canada in the final. Raducanu defeated Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 to capture the Grand Slam title.
The teenage girls who played both finals were playing the finals for the first time. At the end the final Grand Slam of the year got a new winner. Before the tournament Raducanu was ranked 150th, and Fernandez was ranked 73rd.
Emma is the first British woman to win a Grand Slam trophy since Virginia Wade at Wimbledon in 1977. She is also the youngest player to claim the women’s title since Maria Sharapova turned 17 at Wimbledon in 2004.
Raducanu is the first qualifier to reach a Grand Slam final in the professional era. Raducanu, who was playing in her second Grand Slam tournament, won all her 18 sets at the US Open in the run up to the finals. It consists of three matches of the qualifying round and six matches of the main draw. Raducanu did not even expect to reach the main draw, but he surprised the world by winning the final today.