Emma Raducanu has beaten Leylah Fernandez once before but ‘fearless’ Canadian will be British tennis sensation’s toughest test in blockbuster US Open final

Everyone is talking about 18-year-old Emma Raducanu as she became the first British woman to reach a tennis grand slam final in 44 years.

But her US Open opponent, 19-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez, should by no means be underestimated.

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The two starlets will come face-to-face at the US Open Final this Saturday at 9pm in the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

This will be the first US Open final that features two teenagers since 17-year-old Serena Williams beat 18-year-old Martina Hingis in 1999.

It has been a fairytale story for both Raducanu and Fernandez as the pair unexpectedly reached the showpiece event at Flushing Meadows.

Speaking to talkSPORT Breakfast, former British tennis star and 1975 French Open winner Sue Barker was quick to give both finalists equal praise. 

Barker said: “These two young ladies in the final, both of them are breaking new boundaries for women’s tennis and it’s and it’s the most exciting final I can remember really because of the way they play.

“They are fearless and nerveless and they are playing it with fun. They are enjoying it and smiling.

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“This is the way we want it to be for young kids. This is fun to play. It’s not all about the pressure.

“Of course, the pressure is going to come for both of them. Getting to the top is the easy bit, staying there is the tough bit.”

And the player-turned-presenter’s comments should be a reminder to British tennis fans that they should not be too quick to forget how impressive Raducanu’s opponent is. 

Sporting talent runs in the Fernandez family and Leylah’s father and coach Jorge was a football player and coach in his native Ecuador.

He gave his daughter a ‘soccer mentality’ and instilled a tough work ethic and regime that saw Leylah undertake two sessions on the court and up to two fitness workouts.

“He has been putting his own soccer training into the tennis training, so it can be more fun and open-minded for us,” Fernandez told The Times last year. “The intensity is a little different. We bring a lot of soccer mentality.

“There are a lot of coaches and players who look at our training and say, ‘That’s a little bit crazy. It’s a little bit too much for a player your age.’ And I’m like, ‘No, it’s completely normal, it’s the way we train and it’s the way it’s been working for us for years.’ 

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The now Florida-based teen made her Grand Slam debut at The Australia Open in 2020, ending up losing in the first round to Lauren Davis.

But since then Fernandez has seen plenty of success despite the adversities that have come her way.

In 2020, she beat Belinda Bencic, who ranked fifth in the world at the time, at the Billie Jean King Cup.

She then went on to qualify for her first WTA tournament final at the Mexican Open and although eventually defeated by Heather Watson, a week later she went on to upset Grand Slam champion Sloane Stephens to reach the quarter finals of the 2020 Monterrey Open.

Finally in 2021, she went on to win that same competition, securing her first WTA title. On top of this, she was the youngest player in the main draw and won without dropping a set.

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At this year’s US Open, Fernandez has carried the mindset instilled by her father into her, at times, gruelling matches.

The 19-year-old caused millions of jaws to drop when she beat defending champion and four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka in the third round, winning 5-7 7-6 (7-2) 6-4. 

She also downed 16th seed Angelique Kerber and fifth seed Elina Svitolina en route to the semi-final.

In the final four, she stormed to victory again and beat Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (3) 4-6 6-4. Her challenger sat second in the world rankings with 10 tour titles to her name.

Barker added that she admired how ‘fearless’ the young star is in her style of play, regardless of the player on the other side of the net.

And Fernandez herself echoed this, telling ESPN she has ‘tried to be magic on court from a very young age’ and puts ‘a show on for everyone’.

Raducanu’s achievements at this competition are not to be scoffed at, with her now being tipped to be favourite for BBC Sports Personality of The Year.

But it’s fair to say Fernandez has arguably faced a tougher route to the final, given the ranking and silverware adorned by the women she’s faced at Flushing Meadows. 

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When you look back at Fernandez’s young career, she has a way of shocking the tennis world and this Saturday certainly has the opportunity to be no exception.

Whilst tennis fans in Great Britain are more than rightly excited by Raducanu, Fernandez should in no way be hidden from the limelight.

It will also not be the first time the two have shared the court together, they faced each other in the 2018 Wimbledon juniors tournament.

Raducanu on that occasion got the better of Fernandez and British tennis will be hoping she can repeat the same result.