Emma Raducanu has stunned the tennis world yet again by reaching the US Open final after dismantling 17th seed Maria Sakkari.
The Kent teenager is the first qualifier – male or female – to make the final of any grand slam tournament following a sensational 6-1 6-4 victory.
Tearing up the record books, Raducanu is also now the first British woman to earn a place in a major final since Virginia Wade won Wimbledon in 1977.
She is one match away – against fellow teen Leylah Fernandez – from becoming the first British female winner at Flushing Meadows since Wade in 1968.
Incredibly she has not lost a set en route to the final and has dropped just 27 games in her six matches.
Two months after bursting onto the scene at Wimbledon ranked 361st in the world, a month after receiving her A level results, and 13 days after entering qualifying in New York, the 18-year-old from Orpington stands on the brink of one of the most remarkable sporting achievements of all time.
06:44 AM
Analysis of Raducanu’s win
We have used up all our superlatives on this dream run already, but suffice to say that this was Raducanu’s best performance to date.
Simon Briggs reports on Raducanu’s victory here.
06:16 AM
Team Raducanu
The British teenager has spoken a lot this week of her team, both in New York and back in London.
Here, our tennis correspondent Simon Briggs introduces us to those who have helped Raducanu reach the New York final.
05:54 AM
Emotional Henman
Former British No 1 Tim Henman was courtside as part of his work for Amazon Prime. After the match, Raducanu said Henman had been giving her plenty of encouragement from the sidelines.
And he led the praise for the sensational teen.
It’s an absolutely staggering performance. If we just look at the way she came out and played, her quality of tennis from start to finish, she was so resilient. She never flinched.
She never let up. It was relentless. And then you’ve got to throw in the scenario of being a qualifier, an 18-year-old, with all the legends who have ever played this game at grand slam level. She is the first person to qualify and reach the final. It’s simply stunning.
She deserves all the credit in the world. On the biggest stage in our sport at every opportunity she plays on her terms. It’s incredible to watch. She’ll need to enjoy this tonight and then get ready for Saturday.
Read more here.
05:46 AM
Sakkari speaks
“Bad memories” from Roland Garros may have foiled Maria Sakkari at the US Open, as the 17th seed fell in the semi-final of a Grand Slam for the second time this year.
She was totally outplayed, struggling on serve and putting up 33 unforced errors. Sakkari lost to Czech Barbora Krejcikova in the French Open semi in June, a nail-biting three-setter.
I probably didn’t handle it the right way, playing a second semi-final again this year. I had bad memories from my last one and I think I did not handle it the right way.
Things don’t go your way most of the times. You just have to accept that.
05:12 AM
Saturday night rematch!
The final on Saturday won’t be the first time Raducanu and Fernandez have played each other.
In 2018, they met in the Wimbledon junior girls second round and Raducanu, who was unseeded, won 6-2, 6-4.
Fernandez was the 11th seed and Raducanu was eventually beaten 6-0, 6-1 by Poland’s Iga Swiatek, who won the 2020 French Open.
05:02 AM
Ripping up the record books
04:51 AM
‘ If Emma stays fit she is going to win multiple Grand Slam titles’
Some thoughts from Eurosport tennis expert and seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander:
To me, for Leylah, this is an early sign that if she stays healthy physically she is going most definitely going to get to a bunch of semi-finals, a bunch of quarter-finals, and finals – and most probably win some – because she has it. She has the intangible that you can’t win without it. Mentally Leylah is like a rock, incredible. She has a temperant similar to Rafa Nadal that leaves you asking how do you do that? That’s who they are.
Emma is incredibly talented, physical, has unbelievable timing, tennis IQ, heart and enjoys it. They have both embraced in a way that I cannot put myself in their shoes. The enjoyment part that gets the crowd going is so key for both of them. It’s going to be interesting to see who the crowd is pulling for, that’s for sure. Emma has done it at Wimbledon and the US Open, you can do it at the smaller tournaments but she has done it on the biggest stage which says it all. I would say the same about Emma as I would say about Leylah, if she stays fit she is going to win multiple Grand Slam titles. I cannot imagine a player like that not winning three or four majors, I really can’t.
This final is going to be more of an open match where both Emma and Leylah are going to try and be aggressive, close to the baseline, without having a killer shot off of a dead ball. The difference between them and Sakkari and Sabalenka is that they can hit winners off of a dead ball. Raducanu and Fernandez play very similar in a way, if Fernandez was right-handed you wouldn’t see much difference in their styles, they are pretty close in how they play.
04:35 AM
Need an excuse? The LTA has got you covered!
04:28 AM
‘There’s no pressure on me’
Asked about coping with expectation and excitement ahead of the final, Raducanu said:
I mean, is there any expectation? I’m a qualifier, so technically on paper there’s no pressure on me.
04:21 AM
Moving on up
04:16 AM
Raducanu’s route to the final
Qualifying: Q1 d. Schoofs 6-1, 6-2. Q2 d. Bolkvadze 6-3, 7-5. Q3 d. Sherif 6-1, 6-4
Main draw: R1 d. Voegele 6-2, 6-3. R2 d. Zhang 6-2, 6-4. R3 d. Sorribes Tormo 6-0, 6-1. R4 d. Rogers 6-2, 6-1. QF d. Bencic 6-3, 6-4. SF d. Sakkari 6-1, 6-4.
04:08 AM
The kids have arrived
03:59 AM
Raducanu speaks
Honestly today I wasn’t thinking about anyone else except for myself.
While I have the moment I just really want to thank my team, the LTA and everyone back home for their support – I wouldn’t be here without it.
Tonight playing under the lights on Arthur Ashe, it’s one of the most iconic things in tennis and I was just so excited to come out here and play in front of you guys. Thank you for coming.
03:53 AM
Raducanu’s achievement in context
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First qualifier, man or woman, to reach a Grand Slam final.
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Youngest British Grand Slam finalist in 62 years.
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First British woman to reach a Grand Slam final in 44 years.
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First British woman to reach a US Open final in 53 years.
03:50 AM
The winning moment
03:43 AM
Raducanu* 6-1, 6-4 Sakkari (*denotes server)
Raducanu has held serve 46 times in the tournament. A 47th and she reaches the final.
Sakkari forehand return into the net, 15-15. RADUCANU FOREHAND WINNER, 30-15. Sakkari backhand into the net.
GAME>SET>MATCH. RADUCANU DRIVE FOREHAND WINNER!!!! RADUCANU IS THROUGH TO THE US OPEN FINAL!!!!
03:37 AM
Raducanu 6-1, 5-4 Sakkari* (*denotes server)
Ideal service game from Sakkari. She holds to 30 and forces Raducanu to serve for the match. Can she do it?
03:34 AM
Raducanu* 6-1, 5-3 Sakkari (*denotes server)
Sakkari just can’t read Raducanu’s serve today. It’s been unplayable. The 18-year-old races to 40-0.
Sakkari forehand winner, 40-15. Raducanu nets a forehand, 40-30. Sakkari forehand wide.
RADUCANU IS ONE GAME FROM THE US OPEN FINAL!!!
03:30 AM
Raducanu 6-1, 4-3 Sakkari* (*denotes server)
Must hold game for Sakkari. But she nets a backhand on the opening point. Sakkari backhand into the net, 0-30.
Sakkari forehand long, THRE BREAK POINTS. Good defence by Sakkari to save the first. Then the second with an ace. Bloody hell, what a rally. Jaw dropping rally. Both players giving it everything. Raducanu making Sakkari play the extra ball on three occasions but the Greek stands firm. Deuce.
Big Raducanu return, fourth break point. Saved again by Sakkari with a drive forehand winner. Break point No 5 as Sakkari nets a forehand. Sakkari volley winner, gutsy tennis.
A roar from Sakkari as she holds after 9 minutes. Could those missed break points prove to be a turning point?
03:19 AM
Raducanu* 6-1, 4-2 Sakkari (*denotes server)
Raducanu backhand winner, 15-0. Sakkari forehand wide, 30-0. Big first serve followed by a backhand winner, 40-0.
Raducanu backhand down the line AGAIN. This young women is not blinking at all.
03:15 AM
Raducanu 6-1, 3-2 Sakkari* (*denotes server)
Sakkari backhand long, 15-15. Sakkari double fault, 15-30. Terrible Raducanu drop shot, 15-40.
Raducanu goes long on the first. Raducanu shanks a forehand long. Deuce.
Ace Sakkari, her third of the match. And she holds when Raducanu nets a backhand.
03:11 AM
Raducanu* 6-1, 3-1 Sakkari (*denotes server)
Attack Raducanu’s backhand at your peril. She drills another cross winner past Sakkari, 40-30. Raducanu ace. She holds and is now three games from the final.
03:07 AM
Raducanu 6-1, 2-1 Sakkari* (*denotes server)
Brilliant, just brilliant from Raducanu as she hits a backhand return winner, 15-30. Sakkari forehand long for the umteenth time, two break points.
Deep Raducanu return and Sakkari shanks a forehand long. Raducanu breaks again!!!!
03:02 AM
Raducanu* 6-1, 1-1 Sakkari (*denotes server)
Raducanu volley winner, 30-15. Followed by her first double fault of the match, 30-30. Sakkari overhits again on the forehand wing, 40-30.
And another on goes long to allow Raducanu to hold.
02:59 AM
Second set: Raducanu 6-1, 0-1 Sakkari* (*denotes server)
Emphatic love hold by Sakkari to start the game. Perhaps that might settle her down.
02:58 AM
Latest update from US correspondent Jamie Johnson in New York
It wasn’t supposed to be this easy.
In her last two matches Emma Raducanu had an early wobble and lost her first service game, going 2-0 down before staging a comeback.
Tonight, that pattern looked to be repeating itself as she fell 40-15 down on serve in the first game.
But instead of waiting two games to dig deep, Raducanu snapped out of the slump straight away, taking the game to deuce and then winning it.
Remarkably, she then broke Sakkari – one of the biggest servers on tour and who lost only two points on her first serve in her last match.
From then on, Raducanu took control. 3-0, another Sakkari break to make it 4-0, a hold of serve to make it 5-0. Sakkari only held serve at the third time of asking, closing the gap to 5-1.
Raducanu ensured there was no comeback and won her 17th set in a row at this tournament in just 36 minutes.
She looks calm and collected, playing with poise and control, dominating rallies from the back of the court.
She’s halfway to the US Open final.
02:55 AM
Raducanu* 6-1 Sakkari (*denotes server)
Longest rally of the match, 17 shots and Raducanu comes out on top again. Wide Raducanu serve catches out Sakkari again, 30-15. Two set points after another unreturned serve.
Sakkari return long and Raducanu takes the opening set. An immaculate set of tennis by the teen.
02:51 AM
Raducanu 5-1 Sakkari* (*denotes server)
Sakkari is trying to get herself fired up and she does it with a terrific angled forehand to move 30-15 ahead. She double faults again, 40-30.
But she finally gets on the board when Raducanu goes long.
02:46 AM
Raducanu* 5-0 Sakkari (*denotes server)
Sakkari backhand into the net, 15-15. Sakkari backhand return long, 30-15. Sakkari overhits on the forehand side this time and it’s 40-15.
Raducanu hits a poor drop shot but stays strong at the net to hold and claim her fifth game in a row.
02:42 AM
Raducanu 4-0 Sakkari* (*denotes server)
Sakkari leaves the court for a swift change of attire. Thankfully doesn’t take as long as her compatriot Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Another Sakkari double fault and it’s 15-30. Sakkari forehand winner after a big first serve, 40-30.
Lovely feel at the net by Raducanu to finish with a volley winner, deuce. Blistering backhand down the line by Raducanu is too hot for Sakkari, break point. Fantastic return by Raducanu but even better response by Sakkari to get the ball back in play and draw the error.
Sakkari backhand winner, lovely shot. Very tight forehand by Sakkari, flies well long.
Raducanu backhand winner down the line. Wow. Second break point. Sakkari double fault. Raducanu breaks again. Wowzers.
02:33 AM
Raducanu* 3-0 Sakkari (*denotes server)
A backhand winner followed by a forehand winner for Sakkari, 0-30. Raducanu backhand long and it’s three break back points.
Raducanu saves the first when Sakkari nets a return. Then the second when Sakkari nets a defensive backhand. One to go.
Sakkari with a wild forehand wide. She’s 0 for 6 on break points so far. She then earns a 7th but Raducanu saves again with an unreturned first serve.
And she holds to complete a fabolous start to the match.
02:28 AM
Raducanu 2-0 Sakkari* (*denotes server)
Sakkari nets a backhand, 15-30. Double fault Sakkari, two break points for Raducanu. Sakkari nets a backhand slice and Raducanu breaks.
Sakkari very tight early on. Raducanu must capitalise and keep her foot on the gas.
02:23 AM
First set: Emma Raducanu* 1-0 Maria Sakkari (*denotes server)
Sakkari comes out on top in the opening point of the match. Raducanu then hits a defensive backhand, 0-30. Raducanu ace, 15-30. Raducanu goes just long with a forehand down the line, two break points.
Raducanu saves the first when Sakkari puts a forehand long. And the second when she drills a backhand winner into the corner.
Raducanu nets a backhand, third break point for Sakkari. But she puts another forehand long.
Raducanu ace and she comes through that early scare when Sakkari nets a backhand. Great start.
02:17 AM
Prediction time
Who are you backing? Greg Rusedski and Annabel Croft both reckon Sakkari will get the win due to her greater experience. We don’t want to hear that!
02:16 AM
Tale of the tape: Emma Raducanu vs Maria Sakkari
Age: 18 – 26
Nationality: British – Greek
Height: 5ft 7in – 5ft 8in
World ranking: 150 – 18
Career singles titles: 0 – 1
Career prize money: $303,376 – $4.4million
Grand slam titles: 0 – 0
US Open best: Semi-final 2021 – Semi-final 2021
Head-to-head wins: 0 – 0
02:14 AM
Here we go!
Raducanu walks onto court and has a beaming smile. She looks ready for this moment.
We have the coin toss. Sakkari wins it and opts to receive serve. Smart choice that, putting pressure on Raducanu early.
02:06 AM
History makers
Before Raducanu and Sakkari come onto court, there is a presentation celebrating the ‘Original Nine’—the pioneering group of women who paved the way for the birth of women’s professional tennis
01:58 AM
Some pre-match Emma Raducanu vs Maria Sakkari reading
To whet the appetite, here are some pieces by the Telegraph.
01:53 AM
Fernandez speaks
I have no idea! It is thanks to the New York crowd, they have helped me and cheered for me and never gave up for me, they fought for me. Thank you, New York!
That is years of hard work and tears and blood on court and sacrifices, I really wanted it, I fought for every point, Aryna fought for the same thing and I don’t know how I got the last point in but I am glad I’m in the final.
01:48 AM
It must be something in the maple syrup!
01:38 AM
Leylah Fernandez vs Aryna Sabalenka – result
Scoreboard pressure tells as Sabalenka doubles to fall 0-30 down. Another double fault gives Fernandez three match points.
And Fernandez does it when Sabalenka puts a forehand well long. Incredible scenes.
01:35 AM
Leylah Fernandez vs Aryna Sabalenka – latest
We are in the business end of the third set now. Fernandez holds to 15 to move just a game away from the final.
She leads 5-4 on serve and Sabalenka now serves to stay in the match.
01:26 AM
Leylah Fernandez vs Aryna Sabalenka – latest
Both players are in the zone and it has led to consecutive breaks on Arthur Ashe.
First, Sabalenka is broken from 40-15 for Fernandez to lead 4-2. Then Sabalenka breaks back straight away at the fourth opportunity. The pressure is well and truly on.
It’s 7-6 4-6 4-3 and on serve.
01:18 AM
‘Her standard of play is top 20 at the moment’
Emma Raducanu has the talent and mentality to ensure her extraordinary summer surge is far from a flash in the pan, according to Jo Durie, the last British woman to reach the US Open semi-finals in 1983.
It’s just remarkable – even though in the tennis world we knew Emma was a good player, I’m not sure anybody thought the last few months would be like this. Her trajectory has just been this graph that goes straight up, and that hardly ever happens in the game. It is just astonishing, especially when we saw at Wimbledon how well she played then what she went through trying to cope with it.
I think we thought, well she could come through qualifying. But to reach the semi-finals without losing a set, and most of the sets have been quite easy, that’s quite a different thing. Her standard of play is top 20 at the moment.
01:11 AM
Raducanu gets ready…
I dread to think what would happen if I tried this…
12:58 AM
Latest update from US correspondent Jamie Johnson in New York
Courtside footage of Sabalenka taking the second set…
12:53 AM
Leylah Fernandez vs Aryna Sabalenka – latest
If you are just joining us thinking Raducanu’s match would be starting, think again.
Sabalenka looked to be on the ropes but she’s taken the second set 6-4 to force a decider on Arthur Ashe for the US Open final.
12:49 AM
Throwback Friday
12:43 AM
Leylah Fernandez vs Aryna Sabalenka – latest
Fernandez is just two games away from becoming the youngest US Open finalist since Serena Williams in 1999.
She leads 7-6, 4-3 against an uncomfortable and frustrated Sabalenka.
12:34 AM
Latest update from US correspondent Jamie Johnson in New York
Jamie Murray, who is through to the final of the men’s doubles was asked about his thoughts on Raducanu’s chances tonight.
Well, it’s difficult to say something, because you feel like you’re putting pressure on her if you say that she’s got a great chance to win
Has she got a great chance to win? Yeah, why not? She’s beaten everyone she’s played so far pretty convincingly. I think it was probably good for her that Pliskova lost last night, because I think just less firepower to deal with Sakkari, not that I don’t think she’s a top player, because she is and she’s been kind of on this trajectory, as well.
But I think it’s a better matchup for Emma personally. It’s been amazing to watch her at Wimbledon and then, fast-forward seven, eight weeks, she’s doing the same thing here. I believe that she will be a top player for a long time. British tennis I think has got someone to follow for another 15 years, I think.
12:24 AM
Clutch tennis by Fernandez
12:14 AM
Leylah Fernandez vs Aryna Sabalenka – latest
Fernandez comes back from 1-4 and saves a set point to take the tiebreak over a nervy Sabalenka 7-6(3).
12:10 AM
Guaranteed British winner at the US Open
Britain will have a US Open winner this year with Jamie Murray and Joe Salisbury facing off against each other in the final of the men’s doubles on Friday.
Murray, a seven-time doubles grand slam champion, and his Brazilian partner Bruno Soares, overcame tricky eighth seeds John Peers and Filip Polasek, winning 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 at Flushing Meadows.
The Scot could become Britain’s most successful grand slam champion in the open era, overtaking Virginia Wade, if he and Soares defeat Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram at 5pm.
“It’s not like it happens very often that there are two Brits going into a Grand Slam final,” said Murray last night.
“I guess that adds a different dimension to the match, but I think for us, we’re excited to be there, excited to have that opportunity again.
“I don’t feel extra pressure because I’m playing another British guy, just knowing everything I have gone through and we have gone through this year.”
Ram and Salisbury, who represented Team GB at the Olympics and is the fourth ranked doubles player in the world, saw off Americans Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-4 under a closed roof at the Louis Armstrong Stadium.
After the match, The Briton said “Obviously we are excited to come through. We knew it was going to be a tough match. They are a very dangerous team.”
Salisbury, 29, who won the 2020 Australian Open with Ram and the 2021 French Open in mixed doubles with Desirae Krawczyk is familiar with his next opponents.
“We have played Jamie and Bruno quite a few times before and know them really well,” he said.
By Jamie Johnson in New York
12:02 AM
Leylah Fernandez vs Aryna Sabalenka – latest
Before Raducanu’s match gets underway, the first semi-final between Fernandez and Sabalenka is ongoing.
And we are into a tiebreak after an engrossing match. Huge hitting from both players so far!
11:45 PM
Latest update from US correspondent Jamie Johnson in New York
Emma Raducanu was all smiles when she took to the Arthur Ashe court for her final practice session earlier this evening.
Keen to work on her service returns, she asked one of her coaches to fire tennis balls to her left and right at speed from within the baseline.
At one point, an almighty shout of “foot fault” rang out across the arena, making everyone jump.
Officials were testing the line judge microphones, prompting the young Briton and her team to start laughing.
After half an hour, Maria Sakkari arrived on scene and the two exchanged warm smiles. Sakkari fired cross court shots towards two coaches stationed at each side of the opposite baseline.
She also practiced precision returning, aiming forehands at cones which had been placed in the corner of the court.
11:36 PM
Hello!
Welcome to coverage of a potentially historic moment in British tennis.
18-year-old Emma Raducanu needs to win just two sets to reach a maiden Grand Slam final in just the second major tournament of her career.
To achieve it, the teenager must beat Greece’s Maria Sakkari for a place in Saturday’s women’s final. Two months ago, Raducanu reached the fourth round of Wimbledon in July, only to withdraw from her clash with Ajla Tomljanovic due to breathing difficulties. But Anne Keothavong believes Raducanu’s efforts in New York have proved she’s “the real deal”.
“What happened at Wimbledon was unfortunate of course, but it was all so new to her,” said Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup captain Keothavong.
“You’ve got to remember it was only her third professional tournament back since the pandemic. “It was all very new, there was a lot going on. But the way she’s bounced back has shown everyone who did have their doubts what she’s made of. She really is the real deal.”
Raducanu is yet to drop a set in the tournament, blasting her past opponents to reach the last four. And her exploits mean she will become the new British number one next week, jumping into the world’s top 50 and surpassing Jo Konta.
“She’s not a player who breaks down very easily,” Keothavong told BBC Radio Four. “Everyone is amazed at how well she’s been able to embrace the situation and run with it. It’s caught everyone by surprise. I don’t think anyone can wipe that smile off her face.”
In a possible attempt at mind games, Sakkari has claimed she won’t be the favourite going into the match. “She’s a new player on tour so I don’t know much about her,” Sakkari said following her 6-4, 6-4 quarter-final win over Karolina Pliskova.
“Obviously she’s having the tournament of her life. She deserves to be here. She has won all these matches. But I wouldn’t call myself the favourite. I think we all have equal chances of winning the semi-finals and then winning the title. I would give 25 per cent to each starting tomorrow, then 50 to the two finalists.
“We are all here for a reason. We’re all playing well. It was not like we had five walkovers. I’m excited to play a second semi-final this year.”