Which of the four first-time US Open semifinalists will handle their nerves better and reach their first Grand Slam final? USOpen.org previews Day 11.
1. Teenagers Raducanu, Fernandez carry perspective beyond their years
Two teenagers and two veterans will play for a place in the 2021 US Open women’s singles final on Thursday evening. Up first in Arthur Ashe Stadium is 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez of Canada against second seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus. British qualifier Emma Raducanu, 18, and 17th seed Maria Sakkari of Greece will close out the night session.
It’s the first time multiple teenagers have reached the US Open semifinals since 2009 (Yanina Wickmayer, 19; Caroline Wozniacki, 19), and it’s the 11th time that it’s happened in the Open era. Raducanu is also the first women’s qualifier to reach the US Open semifinals in the Open era.
Both teens, however, aren’t showing the “happy-to-be-here” attitude that can plague the best of first-time semifinalists in Grand Slam tournaments.
“Out there on the court today, I was saying to myself, ‘This could be the last time you play on Ashe, so might as well just go for it and enjoy everything,’” Raducanu said of her quarterfinal win against 11th seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland.
Fernandez is armed with a similar now-is-my-time attitude. She told USOpen.org’s Richard Osborn earlier this year, “Right now, I don’t have time. Time is always against us. I try to make the most out of it.”
2. At 26, Sakkari is the senior stateswoman of the semifinalists
At the ripe old age of 26, Sakkari finds herself as the senior stateswoman among the four 2021 US Open women’s singles semifinalists. (Sabalenka is 23.) But Sakkari is embracing her hard-earned path and the experience she’s acquired along the way.
She is playing in her second major semifinal after reaching the same stage at the 2021 French Open, where she had a match point before falling 7-5 4-6 9-7 to eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic.
“I think I'm the best age of my career. I'm more mature than before. As I said many times, I think every single player has a different timing of breaking through. Now it's probably my time at the age of 26,” she said.
“I came in late in the tour. I was not a good junior. I was not a star when I was 18 or 19 years old. I had to work and sacrifice a lot from my life. But it's now paying off and I'm very happy that at the age of 26 I can actually achieve these results.”
Watch: Sakkari vs. Ka. Pliskova, QF Highlights
3. Sabalenka adds new layer to her game
Sabalenka can outhit anyone, this we have known. The WTA wins leader in 2021 has never had a problem slugging forehands and smashing aces.
But now Sabalenka has added a new layer to her game: She is out problem-solving her opponents as well, a key reason she’s into her second consecutive Grand Slam semifinal in New York.
“When something is not working well, what I actually improved in, I'm trying to find something else to win the game,” Sabalenka said. “I'm really happy that I'm not really focusing on the problem… I'm focusing on what should I do to win this match.”
4. Two teenagers but two very different paths
Which teenager has had the more difficult route to their semifinal? Raducanu has already played eight matches, including qualifying, but had to beat only one Top 40 player in Bencic.
“I didn't expect to be here at all. I mean, I think my flights were booked at the end of qualifying, so it's a nice problem to have,” Raducanu said.
Fernandez, meanwhile, didn’t have to go through qualifying but has beaten two Top 5 seeds – Naomi Osaka and Elina Svitolina – and 2016 US Open champion Angelique Kerber.
“Today's match was definitely one of the hardest, not only tennis-wise but also mentally and emotionally,” Fernandez said after beating Svitolina in the quarterfinals.
Raducanu has certainly been the more efficient player. Through eight matches, she has yet to drop a set and has logged only 10 hours and 10 minutes on court, averaging 61 minutes a match.
Fernandez, on the other hand, through five matches, has played 10 hours and 24 minutes.
5. The Golden Slam is possible…
Novak Djokovic lost his bid for the Golden Slam when he fell in the Tokyo Olympics semifinals. But two other players could take home the Golden Slam with US Open titles this week.
In the 14th US Open Wheelchair Competition, presented by Deloitte, Diede De Groot of the Netherlands and Dylan Alcott of Australia will try to win the Golden Slam – four major championships and the Paralympic gold medal in the same year.
No player has pulled off the feat in the 40-plus years of professional wheelchair tennis.
Alcott, who has won 14 Grand Slam titles in quad singles, has been in a similar situation in the past. In 2019, he arrived in New York needing the US Open title for the calendar-year Grand Slam but fell in the final to Andy Lapthorne of Great Britain.
De Groot has won 11 major championships and twice has captured three in the same season. But never before has she won the first three Grand Slam titles of the year.
