In a black dress, Emma Raducanu kissed her trophy and enjoyed the happy ending of her incredible New York tennis fairy tale.
The sensational victory of the 18-year-old Briton as the first qualifier at a Grand Slam tournament even delighted the Queen.
"This is an impressive achievement at such a young age and proof of hard work and commitment," wrote Queen Elizabeth II shortly after Raducanu's US Open final triumph against Canadian Leylah Fernandez, who was only two months older.
"It means so much to me, it was always my dream," enthused the new tennis darling, who stormed the title in nine games without losing a set. It was a remarkable chapter in sports history that the Toronto-Canada-born immigrant daughter of a Romanian and Chinese woman wrote in the weeks of New York. "The Sun" described the 6: 4, 6: 3 at the final in the largest tennis stadium in the world as one of Great Britain's "greatest victories in sport ever". The British have a new star - and he went to school three months ago.
Raducanu hadn't noticed any of this even hours after the converted ace to victory in front of the 23,703 spectators at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Showered and wrapped in a black cocktail dress instead of the sports outfit in the Romanian colors of red, blue and yellow from the days before, she was particularly happy about two things at Question Time: “I tried this serve the whole game and always have missed.
But if there was a moment to meet him, it was this. ”That was one thing.
"Today I did it"
And then she told about the phone call with the family at home in London, who, according to US media, could not be in New York because of the pandemic-related entry restrictions. "My father said to me:" You are even better than I thought. "That was a confirmation," said Raducanu. “It's really hard to please my father. Today I did it. "
Raducanu and Fernandez played tennis at a high level for almost two hours. It was only in the last game that you noticed the nervousness of both of them. With their speeches at the award ceremony, however, they again demonstrated an impressive maturity for teenage women, for example when Fernandez had the microphone given to him again because she was still something going on on the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11th wanted to be: "I hope that I can be as strong and resilient as New York has been in the past 20 years."
For her success, Raducanu received a winner's check for 2.5 million US dollars and will climb to 24th place in the world rankings on Monday - from 150th place.Maria Sharapova, the Russian woman who won Wimbledon in 2004, was younger than she was in a major win Age 17.
The last time there were two teenagers in the final of a Grand Slam was at the US Open, in 1999, when Serena Williams, who is now almost 40 and who has been injured since Wimbledon, won against Martina Hingis - who was already number one in the world rankings at the time.
But two unseeded players in a major final, like Raducanu and Fernandez now?
And then a qualifier who wins the title at a Grand Slam?
This has never happened since 1968 when amateurs and professionals were allowed to compete in the same tournament.
All of this, however, was mainly reported to Raducanu, she herself had not yet dealt with the historical dimensions of her success, according to her own statements. "I don't even know when to go home or what to do tomorrow," she said. “I think now is the time to turn off any thoughts about the future or schedules. I have no idea. Right now I have no worries in the world, I love life. ”Then she smiled.