Emma Raducanu smashed several long-standing records, whilst setting some of her own, to lift the US Open title at the iconic Flushing Meadows in New York earlier this month. The 18-year-old stunned millions as she went all the way from qualifier to champion, becoming the first British women to win the stateside Grand Slam since Virginia Wade’s victory back in 1977.
It is an amazing, inspirational victory that will be talked about not just in Britain, but around the world for years to come. So, as Raducanu’s career blossoms and she becomes a global superstar, let’s take a look back at how she defied the odds on sites like Betdaq and got her hands on the sought-after US Open Championship Trophy. Read on to find out more.
Qualifying
Ranked 150th in the world prior to the tournament, Raducanu had to endure three tough qualifying rounds in as many days before being granted access to the first round of the main tournament. However, she did so with relative ease and great aplomb, beating 33-year-old Dutch professional Bibiane Schoofs (6-1, 6-2), before Georgian Mariam Bolkvadze put up more of a fight, which Raducanu came out on top of with a 6-3, 7-5 victory. She secured her place in the first round with a third successive straight sets victory over the heavily fancied Mayar Sherif, beating the Egyptian, who went on to lose the women’s double final, 6-1, 6-4.
Early rounds
Raducanu breezed through the early rounds of the main tournament in similar fashion, dispatching of Stefanie Vögele in straight sets in the first round, beating the Swiss-native 6-2, 6-3, and Zhang Shuai suffered a similar feat, losing 6-2, 6-4 to Raducanu on Court 10. It was Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo, who knocked out 22nd seed Karolina Muchová, who proved the easiest opponent for the 18-year-old though, as Raducanu dropped just one game in the fantastic 6-0, 6-1 victory.
Round of 16
Featuring at the Arthur Ashe Stadium for the first time, Flushing Meadows’ main court, Raducanu went head-to-head with American Shelby Rogers in the round of 16. Rogers broke the Brit in a hard-fought first game and held her own serve to make it 2-0. However, the 18-year-old didn’t look fazed as she fought back to win the first set 6-2, and she dropped just one game en route to a 6-1 victory in the second set.
Quarter-finals
Raducanu faced her hardest opposition yet in the quarter-finals, going toe-to-toe with 11th seed Belinda Bencic, who reached the semi-finals of the US Open in 2019. However, the 18-year-old broke the 24-year-old Swiss twice to win the first set 6-3, and she progressed to the semi-finals after winning the final set 6-4.
Semi-finals
17th seed Maria Sakkari was all that stood in the way of Raducanu reaching her first Grand Slam final on just her second attempt, and the Greek didn’t pose too many threats as the 18-year-old took the first set 6-1, and Raducanu broke serve once in the second to win 6-4.
Final
In a final for the ages, Raducanu went up against fellow teenager Leylah Fernandez (19), and she was up against it from the off as the New York crowd got behind her Canadian opponent. However, that didn’t put the 18-year-old off as she won the first set 6-4 before wrapping up the tournament with a 6-3 victory in the second set. It was a much closer match than it looks on paper, and both finalists deserve credit for an incredible effort!
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