Emma Raducanu says she has dreamt of winning a Grand Slam title since she was a little girl but never knew for sure if it would actually happen.
She made history on Saturday night, becoming the first qualifier to win a major title in the Open era with victory in the US Open.
A straight sets 6-4, 6-3 win over Canadian Leylah Fernandez at Flushing Meadows completed what can only be described as a fairytale.
Raducanu, who was playing in just her second-ever major, didn't drop a single set in the entire competition.
Speaking after the win she said it was a dream come true.
"Yeah, the visions I had, they were from pretty early on, I would say.
"I’ve always dreamed of winning a Grand Slam. You just say these things.
"You say, I want to win a Grand Slam. But to have the belief I did, and actually executing, winning a Grand Slam, I can’t believe it.
"I first started when I was a little girl, but I think the biggest thing that you have visions of is, for me it was just winning, the winning moment, and going to celebrate with your team in the box, trying to find your way up to the box, just seeing them after the match.
"That’s been playing in my head, like, a couple nights. Like I’ve fallen asleep to that."
We are taking her HOMEEE❤️🇬🇧🏆 pic.twitter.com/L6P52UFpAm
— Emma Raducanu (@EmmaRaducanu) September 12, 2021
Raducanu's success at Flushing Meadows is made even more remarkable by the fact that it came just over two months after Wimbledon.
Raducanu was forced to retire from her fourth-round game at SW19 in the summer, saying the occasion 'caught up on her.'
The 18-year-old was playing in her maiden Grand Slam, in her home city and few criticised her but also few predicted a turnaround like this.
She said her ability to stay focused and distance herself from what was going on in the outside world is something she's really proud of.
"I think the biggest triumph for me is how I managed to just not think of absolutely anything else except for my game plan, what I’m going to execute.
"I didn’t really think anything other than what was going on on the tennis court. All the outside stuff, I just completely zoned in and focused on my craft.
"When I was on the tennis court, it was just business as usual, focusing on the plays. That’s the biggest thing that I’m proud of. I think that’s definitely the biggest thing that’s probably helped me to win this title."
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
