US Open 2021 Women’s Final

NEW YORK – Leylah Fernandez never doubted she could beat the best in the world.

But given that she had never made it past the third round of a major tournament before arriving at the 2021 US Open, it was everyone who needed to be convinced.

By the end of her third-round match against defending champion and former World No.1 Naomi Osaka, the Canadian had won fans around the world with her fearless play and uncompromising attitude. She won the match in hard-fought three sets, but she was hardly taken aback. On the pitch moments later, she was asked when she realized she could win the game.

The 73rd ranked player did not hesitate in her answer.

“From the start, right before the game, I knew I was capable of winning,” Fernandez said.

On Saturday, Fernandez, 19, will play for the US Open title, and she will face another surprise finalist, 18-year-old qualifier Emma Raducanu, who is ranked No.150 and represents Great Britain. It’s the showdown no one had anticipated, but one that has already captured the attention of even the most casual tennis fans due to the unfazed confidence and unwavering balance of the two brightest rising stars. Sport.

“They both have confidence in themselves and know they can win, and their family has always told them they can win,” said Alexandra Stevenson, who reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 1999 at 18. . “Nothing is impossible, and you can tell that they totally believe in it. Gen Z is not only coming, but they have arrived, and they know they belong here.”

Fernandez wowed fans with his ability to kill giants, toppling some of the biggest names in tennis during his run in New York City. Since defeating Osaka, she has faced three-time major champion Angelique Kerber, World No.5 Elina Svitolina and World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka. She needed a decisive set in every game, but found a way to win against her veteran opponents.

For Raducanu, it wasn’t so much who she beat, but how she won that turned heads. Playing only her second main draw in a Grand Slam, she has taken the pitch by storm, including all three of her qualifiers, and is yet to lose a set. Shelby Rogers, who upset leader Ash Barty a game earlier, won just three games against the teenager in the fourth round. In the semifinals, No.17 seed Maria Sakkari was rendered almost helpless and won a match in the first set.

Despite the uncharted territory for both players in their young careers, there have been few signs of nerves or pressure. Sheriece Sadberry, a Florida-based sports psychologist who has worked with Olympic and NCAA athletes, isn’t surprised by their poise or confidence.

“At this age, and it’s true for so many athletes I’ve worked with at the college level, they’ve always been the best athletes they compete against,” Sadberry said. “They are able to see their ability to compete at a high level and they just start to believe it. And when they see that they are so good at a young age, they say, ‘OK, this can become something special. . ‘They haven’t had those times yet when they’ve fought or lost against someone they were meant to beat, and that fuels the belief even more. “

Fernandez and Raducanu aren’t the first teenagers to achieve such success on one of the sport’s biggest stages. Tennis was dominated by the young players of previous eras – Martina Hingis (1997), Monica Seles (1990) and Tracy Austin (1979) all won major titles at the age of 16 – but with the prolonged athletic careers observed. today in all sports and the absolute dominance of Serena Williams for more than two decades, it has been more difficult for young people to break through. Williams, who herself won her first Grand Slam at 17 at the 1999 US Open, became the oldest woman to win a major title at the 2017 Australian Open at 35.

But there have been glimpses of the future in recent years as Williams’ career draws to a close. The latest generation of tennis superstars has started to emerge. Bianca Andreescu and Iga Swiatek were 19 when they won US Open 2019 and French Open 2020 titles, respectively, and Osaka (US Open 2018) and Sofia Kenin (Australian Open 2020) had both 20 years for their first titles.

Still, these players had a lot more experience than Fernandez and Raducanu. Andreescu and Osaka had both won 1000 level events, Kenin had clinched three WTA titles and even Swiatek, the least accomplished of the group before her major victory, had seven ITF singles trophies.

Fernandez is playing in her sophomore year on the WTA tour and in her first full season as the pandemic disrupted much of the 2020 schedule. She won her first title in March at the 250-level Monterrey Open and the US Open is only his seventh main draw. And yet, it’s light years away from Raducanu, who made his WTA debut at Nottingham in June. She made the most of her limited time on tour, however, and reached the fourth round at Wimbledon as a wild card earlier this year.

“It’s amazing what these two are doing without the resume below them,” said Rennae Stubbs, four-time doubles major champion and ESPN analyst. “What they’re doing is pretty impressive in the fact that they haven’t had a ton of big games, but I think they’re both very, very focused on every point independently. They hug the crowd, they’re embracing the moment, they don’t run away from it. “

On Saturday Fernandez and Raducanu will fight for the biggest title of their young lives and for the chance to live a childhood dream. Raducanu admitted she didn’t expect to be in this position after her semi-final win over Sakkari on Thursday, but knew she had the ability.

“Personally, I think inside I knew I had some kind of level inside of me that was similar to these girls, but I wasn’t sure if I was able to maintain it on a set. or two sets, ”Raducanu said. “To be able to do it and face the best players in the world and beat them, honestly, I can’t believe it.”

The last time Fernandez and Raducanu faced each other was in the second round of the 2018 Junior Tournament at Wimbledon. Raducanu won the match in straight sets, but everything has changed since then, and this time each has a chance to etch their name into tennis immortality. Their opponents have spoken of the luxury they both have as underdogs who can play freely and without expectations, but this game will undoubtedly be different. Neither has shown many signs of vulnerability so far, but the stakes have never been higher.

Sadberry said they couldn’t afford to think about all of this if they wanted to win.

“The # 1 thing I stress with all athletes is to never call it the greatest game of your life,” Sadberry said. “It’s just a game. It’s a game like any other, and you just have to trust your muscle memory. Because when we call it the biggest game, then we put pressure on it. once you add pressure then you will start to worry and you will just start to lose what made you feel good. Just focus on each point. “