The Future Is Bright, The Future Is Women's Tennis

Two days ago Emma Raducaunu lifted the US Open Trophy after an incredible run that started in the qualifiers and ended with a win in the final against Leylah Fernandez. Her remarkable rise from a pre-tournament ranking of 150 to now 23 in the world at the age of 18 confirms, in her own words, that "the next generation of female tennis players is strong".

To win a tournament without dropping a set is a remarkable achievement, even more so when it is a Grand Slam and you are only playing in your second major. The ease in which Raducanu breezed past every opponent only exemplifies that the future of women's tennis is in extremely capable hands. Before a run to the fourth round in her first Wimbledon main draw appearance earlier this year, even the biggest of tennis fans wouldn't have known who Emma Raducanu was but now with messages of congratulations from the Queen, the Prime Minister and even Liam Gallagher, Raducanu is a household name, much to the annoyance of Piers Morgan. 

In stark contrast to the men's game, where the big three have dominated Grand Slams over the past few years, the women's game has been changing with various players announcing themselves on the biggest stage in what feels like an important and exciting time for women's tennis and the birth of a new generation. Since 2015 there have been 16 different female Grand Slam winners with only five of those players having won more than one major tournament. Over the same period of time there have been seven different male Grand Slam winners with the big three accounting for 22 of the previous 27 major winners. 

The average age at the time of winning a women's Grand Slam since 2015 is 26 and if you remove Serena Williams from the equation, with five grand slams in this period, the average falls to 24. In fact, out of the 27 major tournaments over the past seven years, there has been a major shift from the old guard to a younger generation of female tennis players with 15 of the titles going to players aged 25 and under. 

Of the current top 32 female players in the world rankings, 19 are aged 25 and under with only four players over the age of 30. With the likes of Osaka, Sabalenka, Kenin, Swiatek, Gauff and our US Open finalists themselves in Raducanu and Fernandez, the women's game is in fantastic hands and I am looking forward to 2022 and beyond. 

What I really admire about many of these women is the intelligence, dignity and respect they all have for one another and the wider world. Don't get me wrong, these players are determined to win but they come across as genuinely nice people and this was shown in both post match interviews with Raducanu and Fernandez. 

On a day where New York remembered the devastating attacks of twenty years ago, Fernandez said ‘I know on this day it was especially hard for New York and everyone around the US. I hope I can be as strong and resilient as New York has been the last 20 years. I love you New York and hope to see you next year.’ These players were not even born to witness that tragic event but they know the importance of it in the hearts and minds of the public and to see two incredibly intelligent, young and inspiring women speak so well, was a beautiful thing.

Raducanu was certainly right to say "the next generation of female tennis players is strong" but not just in their strength with a tennis racquet but in their strength as human beings as well. If the performance of these two women over the past few weeks is anything to go by, they will part of this conversation for many years to come.