Dominic Thiem on Emma Raducanu’s US Open win: ‘It’s one of the greatest achievements in women’s sport’

US Open

Shahida Jacobs
September 17, 2021

Dominic Thiem has described Emma Raducanu’s US Open as “one of the greatest achievements in women’s sport”, adding he was impressed with how the teenager took her game to a “new level” during the final.

The 18-year-old Raducanu rewrote the history books in New York as she became the first player – man or woman – to come through qualifying and win a Grand Slam.

In the process she also became the eighth youngest woman to win a major while she is also the first British woman since Virginia Wade at Wimbledon in 1977 to win a Grand Slam.

Raducanu won 10 matches in a row – three in qualifying and seven in the main draw – to be crowned US Open champion while she also didn’t drop a set in any of her matches.

‘I think it’s gradually sinking in a bit more,’ says Emma Raducanu after ‘whirlwind experience’

Thiem, who won the US Open men’s title in 2020, was certainly impressed.

“For me this is one of the greatest achievements in women’s sport. It was an unbelievable journey, you just have to look at the numbers,” the Austrian said during an interview with Omnisport (via Tennisnet.com).

“She didn’t lose one set the whole tournament. She came from qualifying and she didn’t even play one tiebreak. We have probably never seen anything like this before.”

Raducanu, who started the tournament as the world No 150, but jumped to No 23 on the back of her Flushing Meadows feat, beat Canadian Leylah Fernandez, 19, 6-4, 6-3 in the final.

Thiem added: “Also the way she plays, her technique, the way she moves, somehow she brought it up to a new level for the whole game… it was great to see. Perhaps it is the greatest breakthrough of all time.”

Dominic Thiem Emma Raducanu US Open