The fall sports season is officially upon us! Football season has officially kicked off, MLB teams are in the race to secure a postseason spot, and the US Open has come to a close.
This year, the women’s US Open final was something most viewers didn’t expect: Emma Raducanu, an 18-year-old tennis player from England, was ranked 150th, and managed to take down Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic in the quarterfinals, Maria Sakkari in the semifinals, and finally Leylah Fernandez to win the grand slam.
Leylah Fernandez, a young 19-year-old upcoming star from Canada, had a fantastic run to the finals of the US Open. She defeated two-time defending champion Naomi Osaka, who was ranked number three in the tournament in the 3rd round.
It’s safe to say that this tennis match was nothing short of incredibly competitive, and was truly a fun and intense match to watch. Raducanu has now become the first qualifier to reach a major final, win a grand slam, and the first singles player to qualify for the US Open semifinals.
Raducanu was incredibly gracious towards the crowd, saying in her post-game interview that she couldn’t have done it without their support and their cheering from the stands. She also paid respect to Billie Jean King, a tennis legend, saying how she hopes future tennis players can follow in her footsteps.
After this intense tournament and a nail biting final, it’s safe to say that the future of women’s tennis is bright. I think I speak for most people when I say that I am excited to watch this new generation of women tennis players compete.