Incredible women’s final at the US Open!

Teenagers have taken the reins. Britain’s Emma Raducanu (18) meets Leylah Fernandez (19) of Canada on Saturday.

It is the first final for teens since 1999, when Serena Williams (39) beat Martina Hingis (40) in New York. ESO has not existed for 22 years.

Raducanu is the first qualified woman to reach a Grand Slam final in history. This was also not the case for men. In the semifinals she beat Maria Sakkari (26 / Greece) 6: 1, 6: 4.

“I can’t believe it! A shock, a madness. It means a lot to me to be in this situation now. I am speechless: a Grand Slam final at this age. It’s insane,” says Raducanu. Years ago he watched at Wimbledon and he played for the first time in July. “That was unbelievable.”

Fernandez previously beat world number two Aryna Sabalenka (23 / Belarus) 7: 6, 4: 6, 6: 4. She had previously cleared defending champion Naomi Osaka (23 / Japan) and Angelique Kerber (33).

So now the teens are playing against each other. In fact, American Coco Gauf (17) was believed to be the first of the new generation to play a Grand Slam final. He had his breakthrough at Wimbledon when he was 15 when he reached the knockout stages in 2019. “When you’re young, you can play freely. I only think about the schedule and not who expects what from me, ”said Raducanu.

Who are the finalists?

Raducanu was born in Canada, Romanian father, Chinese mother. When she was two years old, her parents moved to Britain with her. She grew up there, she’s British, but she also has a Canadian passport.

Deportivo: right-handed woman, very good service cut, takes the balls late and does not hit them hard, but with great precision. Still without winning a tournament. So the first one would be a Grand Slam hit. It has a contract with the supplier Nike.

Fernández was also born in Canada. Ecuadorian father, Filipino mother with Canadian citizenship, so the daughter leaves for Canada. Sporty: left-handed. Powerful woman who takes balls early and has incredible punching power. He won his first tournament in March in Monterrey, Mexico. She is with the supplier Asics.

Fernández for sure: “Nothing is impossible. There is no limit to what I can do. My father always told me that my potential was unlimited. Many have doubted that he was a professional, and now here I am. I think I did pretty well. “

His biggest motivation: “A teacher told me to stop playing tennis. You will never make it! Focus on school. ‘ I can laugh at that today, not then. I’m glad you told me because I have this phrase in my head every day. I want to show him that I will achieve everything I have dreamed of. “

Raducanu and Fernandez faced each other at the age of eleven, later at the Wimbledon youth competition. “We both play tennis well, it will be a great match,” Raducanu says succinctly. “But we have no contact, we only see each other at tournaments and we greet each other.”

Both make great leaps in the world rankings. Raducanu from number 150 to 23, Fernández from 73 to 19, ahead of Gauff. At Wimbledon, Raducanu had to give up in the round of 16 due to respiratory difficulties, in New York he is squarely. Fee: 2.1 million euros for the winner, the loser still collects one million.

Therefore, the field of women who can win Grand Slams is growing. Because with Gauff (17), Marta Kostyuk (19 / Ukraine) and Clara Tauson (18 / Denmark) there are other teenagers who have what it takes.

German descent can only dream of it. The best adolescent player is ranked 301 by Nastasja Schunk (18). Hope: Angelique Kerber only made her breakthrough at age 23: the 2011 US Open semifinals.