Emma Raducanu: US Open champion on resilience, celebrations and pleasing her parents
As Emma Raducanu basks in her new-found New York fame, she explains where she found the mental strength to win a Grand Slam title.
As Emma Raducanu basks in her new-found New York fame, she explains where she found the mental strength to win a Grand Slam title.
Casper Ruud on Monday became the first Norwegian to crack the Top 10 of the FedEx ATP Rankings when he climbed to a career-high World No. 10. The 22-year-old is the 173rd player to join the elite group and is now the youngest in the current Top 10.
“I am very excited and happy of course to reach this milestone,” Ruud told ATPTour.com. “It’s something I’ve looked up to and worked hard for for many years. To achieve it is a very nice feeling.”
The Next Gen ATP Finals alumnus made history earlier this year by winning titles in Bastad, Gstaad and Kitzbühel in three consecutive weeks. Ruud was the first player to lift three trophies in as many weeks since Andy Murray did it in October 2011.
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Tennis has been part of Ruud’s life as long as he remembers. His father, Christian Ruud, had a mini-tennis court in their backyard and would help Casper get a feel for the ball from the age of four. It did not take long for Ruud to start dreaming big and following in his father’s footsteps.
“I thought about playing tennis on the big screens around the world,” Ruud said. “It was always on my mind and my dream from eight years old.”
Casper remembers watching tennis on television and his father quizzing him on who was in the world’s Top 10.
“I would pretty much always be on point and know exactly who was in the Top 10,” Casper said. “I think it’s a big milestone, something many players look up to, including myself. I’ve done it for many years. To be able to be part of that group is something very special and something I feel very humbled and proud to be part of.”
Christian reached a career-high of World No. 39. Casper surpassed that mark last February and has now ascended to the upper echelon of the ATP Tour. His father, who is also Casper’s coach, has enjoyed the process.
“It is super fun. He always seems to do small steps, which I know is difficult. He is going one way in the [FedEx ATP] Rankings,” Christian said. “I am surprised he hasn’t had many setbacks. He is steadily going in the right way and I know his goal is to stay up there. I think he is surprising me with how comfortable he is in his position.”
Ruud is happy with his accomplishment, but there is plenty more he wants to achieve in the sport. According to his father, the five-time ATP Tour titlist — a four-time champion this year — has his sights set on the Nitto ATP Finals, to be played at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from 14-21 November.
“It is to reach Turin and finish in the Top 10,” Christian said. “He is focused on getting to the [Nitto] ATP Finals. Without clay, it may be a little bit tougher, but he can play well on hard courts, and mentally he is prepared.”
Andrew Richardson, the coach who guided Emma Raducanu to her astonishing US Open triumph, says her mental strength is “truly special”.
The third quarter of the 2021 ATP Tour season saw maiden major success, breakthrough runs and history made.
Daniil Medvedev ended Novak Djokovic’s pursuit of the Grand Slam to claim his first major title at the US Open, while Alexander Zverev backed up his golden triumph at the Tokyo Olympics with his fifth ATP Masters 1000 crown in Cincinnati.
Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas continued to produce consistent performances to rise into the Top 3 of the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time and Felix Auger-Aliassime strengthened his claim for a spot at the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals with a semi-final run at Flushing Meadows.
Below, ATPTour.com reflects on a thrilling third chapter of the 2021 season.
Medvedev’s Major Breakthrough
The Russian had a North American hard-court swing to remember as he captured his first major title at the US Open, a month after winning his fourth ATP Masters 1000 crown in Toronto.
After arriving on the hard courts in Canada following a quarter-final exit to Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta at the Tokyo Olympics, Medvedev quickly clicked into gear on a surface he has now won 12 tour-level titles on. The World No. 2 battled past Alexander Bublik and Hubert Hurkacz before conquering Reilly Opelka’s thunderous serve in the final to lift the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers trophy.
While his bid to become the seventh male player to clinch the Cincinnati-Toronto double was ended by countryman Andrey Rublev in the semi-finals in Ohio, the 25-year-old quickly put this behind him. Medvedev stormed through the field at the US Open, dropping one set en route to a historic championship match clash with World No. 1 Djokovic.
In an enthralling final, Medvedev, who has now compiled an 18-2 record since Wimbledon, overcame Djokovic in straight sets to earn the biggest win of his career and become the third Russian, alongside Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin, to triumph at a major.
“You never know if you’re going to achieve it in your career,” Medvedev said following his victory over Djokovic. “Again I was always saying, ‘If I don’t, I just want to know that I did my best to do it’. That’s my first Grand Slam. I don’t know how I’m going to feel if I win a second one or third one. That’s my first one, so I’m really happy.”
Medvedev’s run in New York also means he has qualified for the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from 14-21 November.
Photo Credit: Al Bello/Getty Images
Djokovic Foiled
On 11 July, Djokovic had just claimed his third major title of the season on the lawns of Wimbledon and had his eyes focused on capturing the historic Golden Grand Slam ahead of the Tokyo Olympics and the US Open.
On arrival in Tokyo, Djokovic said: “I am full of confidence and motivated to represent Serbia in the best possible way. I am yearning for a medal in Tokyo, hopefully, gold, and then I’ll go to New York aiming to complete it all.”
On the court, the World No. 1 seemed to be in control as he cruised through his opening four rounds to set up a meeting against Germany’s Zverev. However, after winning the first set, Zverev roared back to end the Serbian’s Golden Grand Slam hopes, leaving WTA legend Stefanie Graf as the only player to have completed the Golden Slam (1988).
The 34-year-old looked to put this disappointment behind him at Flushing Meadows and follow in the footsteps of Rod Laver, who was the last man to have completed the Grand Slam, in 1969. After dropping the first set in four of his six matches en route to the final, the pressure finally told as he succumbed to Medvedev on the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Despite his defeat, an emotional Djokovic felt the full support of the crowd during the match.
“The amount of support and energy and love I got from the crowd was something that I’ll remember forever,” Djokovic said. “That’s the reason on the changeover I just teared up. The emotion, the energy was so strong. It’s as strong as winning 21 Grand Slams. That’s how I felt, honestly. I felt very, very special.”
Djokovic On ‘The Reason I Just Teared Up’
Zverev’s Golden Patch
Having suffered a disappointing fourth-round exit at Wimbledon to Auger-Aliassime, Zverev did not let this get him down, as he responded with his best run of the season.
On his Olympic debut in Tokyo, the 24-year-old produced dominant tennis as he dropped just one set en route to becoming the first German man to win an Olympic singles gold medal in tennis. The World No. 4 ended Novak Djokovic’s hopes of a historic Golden Grand Slam when he upset the Serbian in the last four, before dismantling Karen Khachanov in the final.
Fuelled with belief and confidence, Zverev then extended his winning streak to 11 matches when he captured his fifth ATP Masters 1000 crown in Cincinnati. The German, who cruised past Andrey Rublev in the final to stretch his ATP Head2Head Series against the Russian to 5-0, had never won a match in six previous appearances at the tournament.
However, he played aggressively all week as he moved to ninth position for the most Masters 1000 titles won since the series started in 1990. Arriving at the US Open in form, the 2020 finalist was then motivated for further success as he aimed to clinch his first major title.
The fourth seed made some waves at Flushing Meadows, dropping just one set as he charged into his fourth major semi-final to set up a rematch with Djokovic. Entering that clash on the back of a 16-match winning run, Zverev took the opening set against the top seed, but was unable to sustain this level, falling in five sets meaning his wait for a first major title goes on.
Tsitsipas Soars Into Top 3
The Greek arrived in North America in second place in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin, after running up an impressive 22-4 record on clay in the spring. The question posed at the 23-year-old, therefore, was whether he could maintain this form on hard, a surface he has won four tour-level titles on. The answer? Yes.
Following a third-round exit at the Tokyo Olympics, Tsitsipas posted consistent results in Toronto and Cincinnati, enjoying runs to the semi-finals in both Masters 1000 events as he strengthened his position in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin. The seven-time tour-level champion overcame Casper Ruud in Canada before recording impressive victories over #NextGenATP stars Sebastian Korda and Auger-Aliassime, before falling to Zverev in a third-set tie-break.
The 23-year-old’s performances saw him rise to No. 3 in the FedEx ATP Rankings prior to him competing in Cincinnati, which the Athens native saw as a ‘significant’ moment in his career.
“No. 3 is a number that is very significant and it holds a big importance,” Tsitsipas said in his pre-tournament press conference in Cincinnati. “You don’t get many exciting moments like this in your career. I saw it come out, and I felt overwhelmed by it. It kind of pushes me so much to sustain that. That was my initial goal from the beginning of the year, to make it into the top three. Now the second phase of that goal is to remain there.”
With motivation high, Tsitsipas then arrived in New York and faced former World No. 1 Andy Murray in a blockbuster opening match on the Arthur Ashe Stadium, where he saved two set points in the second-set tie-break to avoid going down to sets to love before advancing in five. However, for the second consecutive year, the Greek fell in the third round at the US Open when he lost to inspired #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set epic. His strong results in North America have earned the Greek a spot at the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.
Felix On The Charge
Canada’s Auger-Aliassime has continued to flourish since the end of the grass-court season, with strong runs in Cincinnati and at the US Open lifting the 21-year-old into contention for a spot at the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals.
The North American hard-court swing did not start as planned though, as the Canadian fell in his opening match on home soil in Toronto to Dusan Lajovic. However, Auger-Aliassime quickly put this behind him as he toppled World No. 8 Matteo Berrettini in Cincinnati to reach his second Masters 1000 quarter-final.
The World No. 15 then backed up his run to his maiden major quarter-final at Wimbledon by going one step further at the US Open, as he advanced to the last four. Auger-Aliassime combined his powerful game with grit and determination as he became the first Canadian man to reach the US Open semi-finals in the tournament’s history (since 1881) and the youngest man since Juan Martin Del Potro, 20, lifted the trophy in 2009.
After defeat to Daniil Medvedev, the 21-year-old was in reflective mood as he aims to compete in Turin at the Nitto ATP Finals.
“It’s important for sure [to qualify],” Auger-Aliassime said. “I’ve put myself in a good position to attain this goal. Now I’m going to try to push and keep my focus on my game, trying to play better, trying to play good matches every tournament. It’s very good and healthy motivation.”
Ram/Salisbury Master North America
Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury had a hard-court swing to remember in North America. In Toronto, the American-British tandem finally turned the tables on Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic, as they recorded their first win in their fifth attempt against the Croatians to capture their first Masters 1000 crown as a team.
The best was yet to come though, as they clinched their second major title together at the US Open, saving four match points in their quarter-final victory over Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell en route to the trophy. This run of success has earned them the second doubles spot in the Nitto ATP Finals, where they will join Mektic and Pavic and Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in Turin.
Ram & Salisbury Capture First US Open Title
No. 11 Felix Auger-Aliassime, +4 (Career High)
The Canadian has climbed four spots to a career-high No. 11 in the FedEx ATP Rankings after he reached his maiden major semi-final at the US Open. The 21-year-old became the first Canadian man to advance to the last four at the US Open in the tournament’s history (since 1881) and the youngest man since Juan Martin del Potro, 20, lifted the trophy in 2009.
View Latest FedEx ATP Rankings
No. 14 Jannik Sinner, +2 (Career High)
The #NextGenATP Italian enjoyed a run to the fourth round at the US Open for the first time, defeating Gael Monfils in a five-set epic before being stopped by World No. 4 Alexander Zverev. The 20-year-old has therefore jumped two spots to a career-high No. 14.
No. 31 Lloyd Harris, +15 (Career High)
It was a breakthrough US Open for the South African as he reached the quarter-finals at a major for the first time. The 24-year-old, who defeated Canada’s Denis Shapovalov and big-serving American Reilly Opelka en route to the last eight, has climbed 15 spots to a career-high No. 31.
No. 38 Carlos Alcaraz, +17 (Career High)
The 18-year-old has moved 17 places to No. 38 in the FedEx ATP Rankings after he became the youngest US Open quarter-finalist in the Open Era (since April 1968). The #NextGenATP Spaniard captured the biggest win of his career when he upset World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round.
Other Notable Top 100 Movers
No. 5 Andrey Rublev, + 2 (Career High)
No. 7 Matteo Berrettini, +1 (Career High)
No. 10 Casper Ruud, +1 (Career High)
No. 17 Cristian Garin, +2 (Career High)
No. 19 Reilly Opelka, +5 (Career High)
No. 23 Daniel Evans, +4 (Career High)
No. 42 Sebastian Korda, +3 (Career High)
No. 57 Lorenzo Musetti, +3 (Career High)
No. 59 Pedro Martinez, +16 (Career High)
No. 62 Botic van de Zandschulp, +55 (Career High)
No. 67 Facundo Bagnis, +13
No. 68 Kevin Anderson, +9
No. 76 Benjamin Bonzi, +18 (Career High)
No. 81 Jenson Brooksby, +18 (Career High)
Daniil Medvedev, who won his first major title on Sunday at the US Open, and Stefanos Tsitsipas are the second and third singles players to qualify for the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from 14-21 November.
Both men will compete in the season finale for the third consecutive year. Medvedev is the defending champion at the season finale, and Tsitsipas lifted the trophy in 2019.
Read the full story at NittoATPFinals.com
With some suggesting tennis would struggle without its big names, the US Open responded with an “amazing” tournament full of stunning play, entertaining storylines and the birth of several new stars.
Daniil Medvedev created history in his own right with a convincing straight-sets triumph over top seed Novak Djokovic for his maiden Grand Slam trophy at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday night.
The Russian thwarted the World No. 1’s bid for the Grand Slam at the final hurdle in two hours and 17 minutes. The legend Djokovic sought to emulate, Rod Laver, led tributes, with fellow US Open champions Juan Martin del Potro and Dominic Thiem also quick to offer their congratulations.
ATPTour.com looks at some of the best tweets about Medvedev’s triumph over Djokovic.
Simply stunning Daniil Medvedev, you stopped one of the greatest tonight. To win your first Grand Slam title is always special, to do it against a champion like Novak Djokovic is something else. Take heart Novak, the quest continues. Best wishes, ?
— Rod Laver (@rodlaver) September 12, 2021
What a performance!
Congrats on your first Grand Slam title @DaniilMedwed ! ??? pic.twitter.com/5tDpWX7yAu— Dominic Thiem (@ThiemDomi) September 12, 2021
Congratulations @daniilmedwed, well deserved! No words can describe how it feels to win your first @usopen, but I bet you’re the happiest man alive right now! pic.twitter.com/akmLx9DZYB
— Juan M. del Potro (@delpotrojuan) September 12, 2021
Congratulations to @DaniilMedwed the 2021 #USOpen Men’s Singles Champion.
Credit to Medvedev who played spectacularly.
As @rodlaver would say, you can’t have one bad match in a major, & Novak made too many unforced errors today.
However, winning 3 of 4 Slams is remarkable.? https://t.co/TUevdDEjyS
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) September 12, 2021
Flawless match strategy by Medvedev. He deserved the win today. We still need to acknowledge how phenomenal Novak was this year (and for 15 yesrs) Was fun to watch. Congrats to both!!
— andyroddick (@andyroddick) September 12, 2021
Unbelievable tennis, congrats @DaniilMedwed ?????@DjokerNole always a great champion ?? ?? #USOpen @usopen pic.twitter.com/1sDm6yiVPt
— Gabriela Sabatini (@sabatinigabyok) September 12, 2021
Part of history https://t.co/Ih4SKClTL4
— Boris Becker (@TheBorisBecker) September 13, 2021
What a match from Danil #Impressive
— Lucas Pouille (@la_pouille) September 12, 2021
3 grand slams this year, World number 1 and FAR from over! The ? will be back! @DjokerNole
— Nemanja Nedovic (@nedovic1624) September 12, 2021
Juan Manuel Cerundolo knew it would be a tough decision, but the 19-year-old understood that it was for the best. The surging #NextGenATP star had the opportunity to make his US Open qualifying debut last month, but opted to forego the hard-court major as he remained in Europe and continued building his game on the ATP Challenger Tour.
Safe to say, the decision paid dividends. Cerundolo went back-to-back on the clay of Como, Italy and Banja Luka, Bosnia & Herzegovina, claiming his second and third Challenger titles of the year. The Argentine sealed the remarkable run with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Nikola Milojevic in Sunday’s Srpska Open championship. He reeled off eight sets won in a row to capture the crown in Banja Luka.
The teenager is making noise on the court with his determined play and dogged defence, and he will earn a significant reward in the FedEx ATP Rankings for his efforts. Cerundolo is poised to rise 27 spots to a career-high No. 108 on Monday. He and brother Francisco Cerundolo (No. 104) are both knocking on the door of the Top 100.
Moreover, his title treble has him in elite company in Argentine tennis history. At the age of 19 years and nine months, Cerundolo became the third-youngest player from his country to win three Challenger titles. Only Juan Martin del Potro and Guillermo Coria were younger when they lifted their third trophies.
Cerundolo, who also secured his maiden ATP Tour title in Cordoba in February, is up to seventh position in the ATP Race To Milan. The teen will look to secure his place at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in the coming months.
Youngest Argentines To Win Three Challenger Titles
| Player | Age | Third Title |
| Juan Martin del Potro | 17 years, 10 months | 2006 Segovia |
| Guillermo Coria | 18 years, 10 months | 2000 Montevideo |
| Juan Manuel Cerundolo | 19 years, 9 months | 2021 Banja Luka |
| Guillermo Canas | 19 years, 10 months | 1997 Santiago |
In other action… Benjamin Bonzi is unstoppable on the ATP Challenger Tour. The Frenchman added a fifth title of the year on Sunday in Cassis, completing a dominant run that has seen him go back-to-back on home soil at the St. Tropez Open and Cassis Open Provence. In fact, he extended his Challenger win streak to 15 straight, having also lifted the trophy in Segovia, Spain, last month.
One of the newest members of the Top 100 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Bonzi is putting it all together in 2021. He joined the exclusive club on 2 August and is projected to rise to a career-high No. 76 on Monday.
How impressive is the 25-year-old’s achievement? He is the first player to win five Challenger titles in a season since Filip Krajinovic in 2017. The single-season record is six. He is also just the second Frenchman to achieve the feat, following in the footsteps of Adrian Mannarino (2014).
This week, the prestigious Copa Sevilla celebrated its 30th anniversary on the ATP Challenger Tour. For the 16th time, one of its native sons lifted the trophy. Pedro Martinez captured his third career title, streaking to victory on home soil with a 6-4, 6-1 win over countryman Roberto Carballes Baena. The World No. 75 was coming off a first match win at the US Open, rallying from two sets down to defeat James Duckworth.
At the inaugural NO Open in Tulln, Austria, it was Mats Moraing claiming his second title of the year. The German dominated Hugo Gaston 6-2, 6-1 in just 46 minutes on Saturday. The final finished just three minutes shy of the record for shortest title match in ATP Challenger history. Moraing, who rallied from a set down twice during the week, rises 49 spots to No. 193.
At the inaugural Kyiv Open, the Italian-Argentine sensation Franco Agamenone carried his jaw-dropping run of form to a second title. Agamenone entered the month of August without a match win in his ATP Challenger career, but, at the age of 28, he is proving that it’s never too late to break through. The Argentine-born Italian has since reeled off 11 wins from 12 matches, adding titles in Prague and Kyiv. From outside the Top 600 at the start of the year, he is projected to rise to a career-high No. 230 in the FedEx ATP Rankings on Monday.
Just how any player reacts to winning a Grand Slam title depends largely on a spur-of-the-moment emotion. The crowd and how the match is won usually play a significant part.
But the reaction upon sealing a first major championship is often a little more preconceived. In Daniil Medvedev’s case, he decided it was time to ditch his typically low-key celebration on match point if he defeated top seed Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s US Open final. When he did so, it became a chance to imitate a celebration featured in one of his great off-court passions – the soccer PlayStation game FIFA.
The 25-year-old gave some indication his “dead fish” post-match celebration was a gaming reference when in his on-court acceptance speech he addressed the move. “Only legends will understand. What I did after the match was L2 + left,” Medvedev said.
Later in his post-match press conference, the Russian said the idea first arose during his run to the fourth round at Wimbledon this year. “When I was running through [the draw at] Wimbledon… I was really confident about my game. I think it was one night, you know, you cannot fall asleep. Five, 10 minutes you have crazy thoughts, like every other person,” he said.
“I was like, OK, if I’m going to win Wimbledon, imagine I win it against Novak or whatever. To not celebrate is going to be too boring, because I do it all the time. I need to do something, but I want to make it special.
“I like to play FIFA. I like to play PlayStation. It’s called the dead fish celebration. If you know your opponent when you play FIFA, many times you’re going to do this. You’re going to score a goal, you’re up 5-0, you do this one.
“Yeah, I talked to the guys in the locker [room], they’re young guys, super chill guys. They play FIFA. They were like, ‘That’s legendary’. Everybody who I saw who plays FIFA thinks that’s legendary. That’s how I wanted to make it… It’s not easy to make it on hard courts. I got hurt a little bit, but I’m happy I made it legendary for myself.”
