Emma Raducanu – Photo Credit: Flickr

Emma Raducanu became the first British woman to win a Grand Slam singles title after 44 years. Professional tennis player Andy Murray described her US Open title as “very special”. 

Murray won the first of his three Grand Slam titles at the US Open and nine years later, the 18-year-old British professional teenage tennis player amazed the tennis world by defeating teenager Leylah Fernandez of Canada in Flushing Meadows.

Raducanu became the first qualifier ever to win a Grand Slam title and she did not drop a set throughout the tournament.

“It was incredible what she did there,” said Murray who successfully defeated Novak Djokovic in the 2012 final and ended Britain’s 76-year wait for a male Grand Slam champion. “What she did in New York was very special, a huge boost for British tennis and gives hopefully the governing bodies an opportunity to capitalise on that and get more and more kids involved in the sport. It’s great what she did and a huge opportunity for British tennis now.”

Murray has long shouldered the burden of British tennis. He said he knew how good Raducanu was when she reached the Wimbledon fourth round earlier in 2021.

“I’ve spent a little bit of time around her on the practice court, but more so in the same building, training close to each other, and watching what she’s doing, and she’s obviously really, really good,” said the former world number one professional tennis player.