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‘What A Superstar’: The Internet Reacts To Emma Raducanu’s Historic US Open Win

Nick Levine
Last Updated 12 September 2021, 9:54
Photo: Getty Images
Emma Raducanu is rightly being hailed as a "superstar" following her stunning victory at the US Open on Saturday.
The 18-year-old from Bromley in southeast London became the first British woman to win the tournament since 1968 – and the first British woman to win any of the four Grand Slam tournaments since 1977.
She was cheered on by Virginia Wade, the last British woman to win a Grand Slam tournament (Wimbledon in 1977) and the last British woman to win the US Open.
Raducanu defeated the 19-year-old Canadian player Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 in a riveting and super-high quality straight sets final. In the process, she became the first woman to win the US Open without dropping a set since the great Serena Williams in 2014.
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Hailing her incredible achievement on Twitter, London's Mayor Sadiq Khan wrote that "Emma Radacanu's story is London's story. Born in Canada to Chinese and Romanian parents, she moved to London at two-years-old. Here in London, we embrace and celebrate our diversity. And if you work hard, and get a helping hand, you can achieve anything."
Meanwhile, tennis legend Billie Jean King said the match was a "terrific display" from "two exceptional players", adding: "It is wonderful to see this generation living our dream."
Raducanu's achievement was also hailed by everyone from England footballer Marcus Rashford to fellow British tennis star Heather Watson. Check out a selection of tweets below.
Sophie Walker also captured the mood by writing: "Teenage female: 1. Old white men: 0." This was presumably a reference to Piers Morgan's cruel and unnecessary criticism of Raducanu after breathing difficulties forced her to withdraw from Wimbledon earlier this summer.
Meanwhile, Twitter's Alice Beverton-Palmer pointed out that we absolutely should be talking about the £1.8 million prize that Raducanu will bank for winning the tournament, given how hard women's tennis pioneers like King fought to achieve pay parity with men.
"For me, I don't feel absolutely any pressure. I'm still only 18 and I'm just having a free swing at anything that comes my way," Raducanu said during her post-match interview on Saturday. "That's how I faced every match here in the States. Yeah, it got me this trophy, so I don't think I should change anything."
It's difficult to disagree with her, isn't it?
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