British 18-year-old Emma Raducanu became the first qualifier to ever reach a Grand Slam final by defeating Greek 17th seed Maria Sakkari 6-1, 6-4 at the US Open on Thursday.
Raducanu, ranked 150th, became the youngest Grand Slam finalist since 17-year-old Maria Sharapova won at Wimbledon in 2004.
She advanced to Saturday’s US Open final at Arthur Ashe Stadium against 19-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez.
It’s the first Slam final between teens since 17-year-old Williams beat 18-year-old Martina Hingis at the 1999 US Open, and just the eighth all-teen Slam final in the Open era (since 1968).
Here are reactions to Fernandez and Raducanu’s astonishing run to the US Open final:
Emma Raducanu is the first qualifier to reach a Grand Slam women's singles final in the Open Era.
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 10, 2021
Since the rankings were introduced in 1975, only 5 players outside the WTA's Top 50 have reached a US Open Women's Final.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 10, 2021
Saturday's final will feature two of them in Leylah Fernandez (73rd) & Emma Raducanu (150th). pic.twitter.com/J8z7t4BhFJ
It's been 53 years since the last time a 🇬🇧 woman played in our singles final.
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 10, 2021
That champion, Virginia Wade, watched Emma Raducanu follow in her footsteps tonight. pic.twitter.com/1Ezvm8ZcA6
The combined age of the women finalists at the US Open is 37: @serenawilliams is 39 and @rogerfederer is 40! The millennials are here, at least in the women’s game !👍 #USOpen
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) September 10, 2021
Emma Raducanu 🆚 Leylah Fernandez for the #USOpen title 🏆
— ESPN (@espn) September 10, 2021
This is the first men's or women's major final featuring unseeded players since the Open Era began in 1968. pic.twitter.com/C0zUxfOP7r
Emma Raducanu 🆚 Leylah Fernandez for the #USOpen title 🏆
— ESPN (@espn) September 10, 2021
This is the first men's or women's major final featuring unseeded players since the Open Era began in 1968. pic.twitter.com/C0zUxfOP7r
18yo Emma Raducanu beats Maria Sakkari 6-1, 6-4 to reach the #USOpen final.
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) September 10, 2021
She won 9 matches so far in NYC. Yet to drop a set.
-- Youngest Grand Slam finalist since 2004
-- Youngest US Open finalist since 1999
-- First ever qualifier to reach a Slam final
[getty] pic.twitter.com/5ow0mvYXGe
We’ve got a Canadian in the #USOpen final! Caught the start of the match before heading to the debate and I just want to say congratulations, @leylahfernandez - and good luck in the final! 🇨🇦🎾 pic.twitter.com/NC2WUbAlbW
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) September 10, 2021
Emma Raducanu first *ever* qualifier to reach Slam final.
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) September 10, 2021
Q1 d. Schoofs 6-1, 6-2
Q2 d. Bolkvadze 6-3, 7-5
Q3 d. Sherif 6-1, 6-4
R1 d. Voegele 6-2, 6-3
R2 d. Zhang 6-2, 6-4
R3 d. Sorribes Tormo 6-0, 6-1
R4 d. Rogers 6-2, 6-1
QF d. Bencic 6-3, 6-4
SF d. Sakkari 6-1, 6-4#USOpen
✨ THE FAIRYTALE CONTINUES ✨
— espnW (@espnW) September 10, 2021
19-year-old Leylah Fernandez upsets No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka to advance to the #USOpen Finals‼️ pic.twitter.com/206LowXC1J
Emma Raducanu is the first woman to reach the US Open final without dropping a set since Angelique Kerber in 2016.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 10, 2021
The last woman to win the US Open without dropping a set was Serena Williams in 2014. pic.twitter.com/NIZSw4cBzS
Beauty of youth - fearless tennis by 2 teenagers through out this US Open. Huge Super Saturday for both of them. Big up for women’s tennis. @usopen
— Mustafa Ghouse (@MustafaGhouse) September 10, 2021
The last time we had an all-teenage women's singles final?@serenawilliams 🆚 @mhingis in 1999 pic.twitter.com/xKqlowyqcR
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 10, 2021
✔️ No. 3 Naomi Osaka
— ESPN (@espn) September 10, 2021
✔️ No. 16 Angelique Kerber
✔️ No. 5 Elina Svitolina
✔️ No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka
Leylah Fernandez has defeated four consecutive ranked opponents, including three in the Top 5️⃣, en route to the #USOpen final 👏🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/bCQTb4Mwu5
the four semi-finalists in the junior girls at the #USOpen are 2003 & 2004 born. the two finalists in the women's singles final are 2002 born! #Raducanu #LeylahFernandez
— Gaurav Kalra (@gauravkalra75) September 10, 2021
Two teenagers in the us open women’s singles finals
— Somdev Devvarman (@SomdevD) September 10, 2021
Emma Raducanu vs Leylah Fernandez
Undoubtedly, women’s tennis is the big big winner from this
For the 1st time in the history of Tennis ( Men's & Women's), a qualifier has gone all the way into the Final of a Grand Slam.
— Vipul (@Sporty_Baba) September 10, 2021
Crazy to think that she has done it without dropping a set.
Emma Raducanu is now just one step away from doing the impossible. pic.twitter.com/qz6rD5HPz8
Tennis is life x2 pic.twitter.com/40CKQrwwO7
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 10, 2021
Also, two mixed race women in the #USOpen final this Saturday. Two teenagers, one qualifier. History on the women’s side, not just the men’s in the #USOpen2021
— Oindrila Mukherjee (@oinkness) September 10, 2021
Emma Raducanu has won 18 sets in a row (9 matches including quailes)
— Somdev Devvarman (@SomdevD) September 10, 2021
And the closest of those sets was 7-5 in the quailes
No one else has more than 4 games from her in a set
🤯🤯🤯
Very cool #USOpen stat:
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) September 10, 2021
There has been at least one woman of color in the US Open women’s singles final for 9 of the past 11 years.
It’s been a long journey, but tennis is starting to look more and more like the world around it.
The combined age of the #USOpen finalists will be less than mine. Excellent start to the morning if feeling super old was the objective.
— Tareque Laskar (@tarequelaskar) September 10, 2021
Stunning stuff from @EmmaRaducanu 🙌🏽 pic.twitter.com/YBVX98tjnb
RADUCANU BELIEVE IT 🤯
— wta (@WTA) September 10, 2021
18-year-old qualifier 🇬🇧 @EmmaRaducanu is through to the #USOpen final without dropping a single set. Throughout the whole tournament. Including qualifying.
She will face Fernandez in an all-teenage final on Saturday 🍿 pic.twitter.com/akQRhvTal8