‘Women’s tennis is in great hands’
Idoubt we will be seeing a story like this again anytime soon. Nobody would have believed you if, back in 1977, you predicted that over four decades would pass before another British woman would win a major Grand Slam. That year, when Virginia Wade beat Betty Stove to win Wimbledon, spirits and confidence in Britain were both high and everyone in tennis was sure that the country would produce more champions and dominate the game. That didn’t happen.
It’s been 44 years since another British female won a major tournament but truth be told, it’s been worth the wait, such is the remarkable story of 150th ranked Emma Raducanu.
She beat Leylah Fernandez to win the US Open but just two months earlier she was collecting her A-Level results! She only made her WTA main-draw debut in June and becomes the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title in the sport’s Open era.
The new champion is just 18 and her achievement is nothing short of astonishing. She had given herself no chance of getting through the qualifiers and advancing in the New York tournament and even had her flight back to the UK booked two weeks ago. 17 days later, she has lifted the trophy to complete an incredible story.