Teen Queen Emma Raducanu: A New Star

-Sankalp Harikrishnan.
On a bright super Saturday in New York, tennis found its newest sensation. 18-year-old Emma Raducanu basked in the glory of her success on Arthur Ashe stadium. In a mouth-watering final, Raducanu defeated another teenager in Leylah Fernandez. It was a triumph that will be remembered for ages to come.

Before the start of the event, Emma Raducanu was ranked at No.150 in the world. Despite having a breakthrough tournament at Wimbledon, very few people expected the Brit to perform at a high level in the US Open. At the grass court Slam, Emma battled her way to the fourth round, before bowing out due to medical issues. Kicking off her campaign right from the qualifiers at Flushing Meadows, Emma won ten straight matches without dropping a single set, en route to the title. She produced unthinkable levels of tennis along the way, beating the likes of Olympic champion Belinda Bencic and French Open semi-finalist Maria Sakkari in the process.

Following her impeccable win, praises poured in for the youngster from all over the globe. The likes of Billie Jean King, Rod Laver, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert were among the legends who congratulated Raducanu. The Queen herself broke her silence, saying "I have no doubt your outstanding performance, and that of your opponent Leylah Fernandez, will inspire the next generation of tennis players." Within the span of 4 months, Emma Raducanu has caused a storm in the sporting fraternity. Here's all you need to know about your 2021 US Open women's singles champion.
Name: Emma Raducanu
Date of birth: 13th November 2002
Birthplace: Toronto, Canada
Residence: London, UK
Current Ranking: 23
Parents: Ian (Romanian descent) and Renee (Chinese descent)
Idols: Li Na and Simona Halep

Records:
● First ever qualifier to win the US Open women's singles competition.
● Woman with the fewest appearances at a Grand Slam tournament before ending up winning one. ● First British woman to win a Major trophy in 44 years.
● Accumulated the most points earned by a player at a single tournament – 2040 points (40 for qualifiers, 2000 for main draw).
● Youngest Grand Slam women's champion in over 15 years.

The fairy tale of Emma Raducanu is an inspiring journey, and the epitome of determination. It is the ultimate 'rags to riches' story, characterised by hard work and fighting spirit. There is no doubt that fans can't wait to see what the future holds for the 'teen queen'!