Emma Raducanu, one of Britain’s best ever junior tennis players, clinched her first grand slam title at 17 on Tuesday after beating Canadian Leylah Fernandez 11-9, 9-11, 10-12, 11-8, 8-11, 11-4.
Raducanu, now Britain’s top-ranked woman at No6 in the world, had never made it beyond the second round of the US Open juniors before this year. She knocked out Russian Ekaterina Makarova in the second round before taking out Australian Lesley Kerkhove 11-8, 11-9, 11-5 in the quarters.
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“I don’t know what to say – it’s been an amazing couple of weeks for me,” Raducanu said in her on-court interview. “I’m really happy to do well today. It’s been an experience to play so well.”
Raducanu, who became the youngest winner of a junior grand slam title this year, began with a break in the first set, then held for a 5-4 lead before playing three break points to take the set.
Fernandez, a former junior world No2, came back to win the second set but Raducanu restored the 5-3 lead in the third and then comfortably held to seal victory.