The last two teenagers to meet in a U.S. Open final were Serena Williams and Monica Hingis in 1999. At 17, Williams won the first of her six U.S. Open titles over the 18-year-old Hingis.
On Saturday afternoon 18-year-old Emma Raducanu of Great Britain will face 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez for the Open crown at Arthur Ashe Stadium. While there is much precedence for teen players to do well in the Open, and win it, there is a vast difference in circumstance between the Williams-Hingis match and the Raducanu-Fernandez match. Hingis had already won a U.S. Open at age 16 and Williams was clearly going to be a star and went on to win 23 Grand Slam titles.
Raducanu, ranked 150th, has been a pro for only a few months and had to qualify to get into the Open. Fernandez, ranked 73rd, has won one small WTA event. Neither was on anyone’s radar to begin this Open, but they now take up the whole screen. And they’ve ridden the crest of the New York crowd’s passion for them, benefiting from a return of spectators this year after the pandemic caused the 2020 tournament to go fanless.
While playing for a Grand Slam title has always been their dream, the reality of it is still mind-boggling.
“I always had dreams of playing in Grand Slams, but I just didn’t know when they would come,” said Raducanu, who made the fourth round at Wimbledon in July before retiring from her match with breathing difficulties. “To be in a Grand Slam final at this stage of my career, yeah, I have no words.”
Raducanu won three qualifying matches and her six main draw matches without losing a set. Fernandez’s path to the final was far more difficult. She beat in succession defending champion Naomi Osaka, former world No. 1 Angelique Kerber, No. 5 seed Elina Svitolina, and No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka.
“I think I’ve been doing some things incredible,” Fernandez said after beating Sabalenka. “It’s like I think one word that really stuck to me is ‘magical’ because not only is my run really good but also the way I’m playing right now.
“I’m just having fun, I’m trying to produce something for the crowd to enjoy. I’m glad that whatever I’m doing on court, the fans are loving it and I’m loving it, too. We’ll say it’s magical.”
There’s no other way to describe it.
An American teen is making some noise at the Open. Robin Montgomery, 17, is through to the final of the junior girls singles after beating Solana Sierra, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. Montgomery, from Washington, D.C., defeated the No. 1 seed Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva in the quarterfinals. She’ll meet Kristina Dmitruk of Belarus.
