Raducanu and Fernandez bring exuberance and a fearless style of play to the US Open

September 12 (Reuters) – With Serena Williams retired due to physical problems even before a ball was hit and Naomi Osaka and Ash Barty were sent to the third round, the loss of interest in the Women’s singles draw at this year’s American Open was palpable.

But no one could have predicted that it would be in the hands of two teenagers, ranked 150th and 73rd in the world, to create the kind of frantic hype in women’s tennis seen over the past fortnight with their fascinating journeys to the finals. on Saturday.

Britain’s Emma Raducanu and Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, born two months apart in 2002, grabbed the U.S. Open with their youthful exuberance and fearless style of play.

The estimate from fans around the world was reflected in the mood of 23,000 people during Saturday’s title clash at the colossal Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I’ve never heard a crowd in Grand Slam tennis being so strong, thanking the players and the player who responded,” said Mats Wilander, seven-time senior champion and Eurosport tennis expert.

“It was an epic of the American Open. It was a great comeback of the American Open, it was just two amazing weeks.”

While 18-year-old Raducanu took home the final prize for becoming the first-place winner to win a Grand Slam title, women’s tennis was also a winner.

The American Williams, who turns 40 this month, has been one of the biggest attractions in Flushing Meadows for the past two decades and her retirement would have shaken the thorns of the organizers in hopes of enjoying the glory of Flushing Meadows. have the maximum capacity in a large for the first time since the outbreak of COVID-19.

When Fernandez beat Osaka twice, winner of the US Open in the third round, the mood faded although the Japanese player, who has been struggling with mental health problems, left the hard track saying that she wasn’t sure when she would compete again.

The next day, world number one Barty, who won the Wimbledon title in July, was also sacked.

With Novak Djokovic well on his way to becoming the first man in 52 years to win all four major titles in a calendar year, the women’s competition in New York was in danger of becoming a bottom card during the second week of the year. Grand Slam.

But Raducanu and Fernandez made sure they didn’t, keeping the global audience captivated with their twinkles relative to the relative darkness.

Eleven weeks ago, the ever-smiling Raducanu had just finished school when she debuted at the Grand Slam at Wimbledon as a wildcard ranked 338th. The US Open was only his fourth touring tournament.

Fernandez played the first senior draw for the first time last year and was ranked No. 73 at the start of the U.S. Open.

But what would have seemed like a scandalous title clash came true when Saturday’s final featured two unclassified players for the first time in a major open era.

NEW CHAMPIONS

While men’s tennis has crowned just one new big winner outside of the trio of Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Djokovic in the last five years, there have been 14 different big women’s tennis champions since the start of the 2017 season.

The depth and unpredictability of women’s tennis has been a cause for celebration.

Bianca Andreescu and Iga Swiatek were 19 when they won the 2019 US Open and the 2020 French Open respectively, while Osaka and Sofia Kenin have also been one of the youngest female champions on the biggest stage in recent years. .

Add to the mix 17-year-old American Coco Gauff, who has already recorded some impressive victories in her fledgling career, and women’s tennis has an exciting future.

“Emma and Leylah represent two of the WTA Tour’s very talented group of young prospects and lead what is sure to be an incredible WTA tennis era,” he told Simon Reuters, president and CEO of WTA, a few hours before the end of Saturday.

“The final seems to be one of the most exciting sporting events of the year, as millions of tennis fans around the world will be inspired by these two amazing young athletes as they continue to exude great joy in competing in one of the sports”. bigger stages, embodying the true spirit of what it means to be a WTA player, both on and off the court.

“A sports league couldn’t ask for two better models.”

While experts are cautious about the possibility of Raducanu or Fernandez dominating the sport as Williams did after winning their first time in New York in 1999, the duo has already established their star power and can expect sponsors and brands queuing.

GLOBAL CITIZENS

GlobalData data and analytics company predicted that Raducanu could earn millions after becoming the first British woman to win a major career since Virginia Wade’s 1977 Wimbledon victory.

Its global profile should also be a great attraction and prepare fertile ground for new tennis fans and WTA fans.

Jorge Fernandez, the father of the 19-year-old Canadian, is from Ecuador while Raducanu is from Romania.

Raducanu’s mother is from China, while Fernandez’s is of Filipino descent.

The British player could take advantage of the big market in China in the same way that Osaka did in her native Japan.

His recent comments about looking at China’s top two-time winner Li Na as he grew up and his message in Mandarin after Saturday’s win are sure to please fans in the Asian country.

The teens were “fantastic” ads for the sport in its bid to increase the global footprint, being Jorge.

“I’m happy for them to touch the Asian community. I think it’s a great opportunity in the women’s game just to be able to expand and have a new style,” she said this week.

“These two women are playing a lot of young girls. They’re playing a lot of young people.

“I’m getting messages about ‘please pass this on to Leylah,’ the girls say, ‘Make us believe.’ That can only be good for the game of tennis and the WTA.”

Reports from Sudipto Ganguly to Mumbai; edition by Pritha Sarkar

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