Form of words:
New Delhi: A flamboyant ace on the ad-court took 18-year-old Emma Radukanu to make history at the US Open on Sunday morning as she not only became the first qualifier to reach a Grand Slam final but also win it in tennis’s Open Era.
Britain’s rival in the final was 19-year-old Canadian Leila Fernandez, who knocked out stalwarts like defending champion Naomi Osaka and former world No. 1 Angelique Kerber. The finalists are so young, in fact, that they can’t even celebrate with an alcoholic drink in New York City, as the legal age for this is 21.
Although the final scoreline was 6-4, 6-3 in Radukanu’s favor, it was not as one-sided as one would think – there were longer rallies, stunning serves and equally sharp returns than Fernandez.
As Fernandez proceeded to congratulate Radukanu, who had fallen to the ground after the victory, the two embraced and the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, draped in the colors of the British and Canadian flags, thundered. 23,000 spectators held during the entire match chanting ‘Let’s go Emma’ and ‘Let’s go Leylah’, showing their enthusiasm in performances by two unseeded women leading up to and during the finals. After the match, the applause was so loud for Fernandez that she could not even speak for a few minutes.
Read also: Nagaland Tennis Player Wins US Athletic Scholarship, Calls It ‘Once-in-a-Lifetime’ Opportunity
shaped by mixed heritage
Both finalists were actually born in Canada – Fernandez in Montreal, and Radukanu in Toronto before their family moved to the United Kingdom.
their mixed heritage There is another point of similarity, with both the players saying that their legacy has shaped their game and career.
Radukanu’s mother Reni is Chinese and her father Ian is of Romanian heritage. She was only two years old when the family Have been taken In England. Meanwhile, Fernandez’s father Jorge is a former professional football player from Ecuador, while his mother Irene was born in Canada to parents of Filipino descent.
“I think that calmness and mental strength definitely comes from my upbringing. I think both my parents have inspired me to have a positive attitude on the court from a very young age, because when I was young So it was definitely not having any kind of bad attitude at all. So from a young age, I have definitely learned it, and it follows me till now,” Radukanu had said. said In an earlier interview.
His game has sharp ground strokes and the ability to tire opponents from corner to corner, hitting the ball with precision and power. He believes that it all comes from the self-belief and work-ethic instilled in him by his parents.
in the same interview British the trend, He Explained: “My mother comes from Chinese background, she has very good self-confidence. It’s not necessarily telling everyone how good you are, but it’s about believing within yourself. I really respect that about the culture. “
Radukanu’s parents, who both work in financial services, wanted her to complete her education, and last year during the Covid lockdown, she focused on school, getting As in both mathematics and economics.
Fernandez, whose younger sister Bianca is also a tennis player, is also inspired by her parents and their struggle. Despite being asked by a coach to leave the sport at a young age, she remained with tennis as nothing she would ever do.
family had to pawn off Jewelry and watches for her tennis training and travel, but she stuck to her dream of becoming a pro and winning big tournaments.
“When you’re asking your kids to work hard and make sacrifices, you have to show that you’re willing to do the same thing… We sold my house, I sold my business. These are the things that You do it to help your children reach their dreams”. said George Fernandez to the new York Times In an earlier interview.
Another aspect of the legacy of both Radukanu and Fernandez are the icons of the game – while Fernandez turns Former Barcelona footballer and current Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola for Raducanu looks like In tennis, Simona Halep of Romania and Li Na Ko of China have both won two Grand Slam titles each.
What this means for women’s tennis
For a long time, women’s tennis has not seen a dominant player or close rivalry like the men’s side has between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Naomi Osaka is gaining popularity as the world No. 1 and winner of four Grand Slams in four years, but she is one of 13 women to win at this level, as the last dominant female player, Serena Williams, captured her last. had done 23 Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open in 2017.
This has caused some loss of interest among casual fans, but it is the lack of key players at the top that produced the final between Redukanu and Fernandez. In some ways, the US Open women’s draw was more accessible this time around, as the underdog dynamics made it easier to route both finalists.
When asked about the future of women’s tennis, Radukanu said, “Each player in a draw has a shot at winning a Grand Slam when she lifts the trophy and collects $2.5 million in prize money. And she showed that pan I had no flash, as in all 10 rounds played at Flushing Meadows, he didn’t fall a single set.
(Edited by Shreyas Sharma)
Read also: Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray swap rackets for PS4 controllers to play virtual tennis in lockdown
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