‘She’s Not As Petty as I Am’ – Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez’s Unexpected Reunion Attracts Unfiltered Remarks From Fans

The future of women’s tennis caught in a single frame in Eastbourne! The two finalists of the 2021 US Open, Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez were recently spotted having a practice session together before starting their campaign at the 2024 Eastbourne International.  Both of them are eyeing to make a long run in this tournament and carry forward that winning momentum to Wimbledon. Tennis fans went crazy on social media after seeing the 2021 US Open champion practice with the Canadian!

In the 2021 US Open, Emma Raducanu ended Britain’s 44-year-long wait to get a women’s champion at the singles event of a Grand Slam tournament. Her 6-4,6-3 win over Leylah Fernandez in the finals was the official announcement of the arrival of Emma Raducanu. But injuries and lack of consistency have now pushed her to 168th in the world. Even Leylah Fernandez played an exceptional brand of tennis in that tournament.

That match witnessed the first all-teenage US Open final since Serena Williams faced Martina Hingis in 1999. Now, seeing them hitting the courts together has made the fans recall the three-year-old memory. Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez have played against each other twice in their careers. The first meeting was at the 2018 Wimbledon Juniors, and even in that match, the British tennis star had the last by two sets. Then in the US Open, she became the first woman to win the title without dropping a set since Serena Williams in 2014.

That match marked the beginning of a new rivalry between Raducanu and Fernandez, but sadly for the tennis fans, they haven’t played against each other in any official match since then. Shortly after her disappointing loss to the Brit, Leylah Fernandez said, “I still can’t accept that [US Open] defeat, but I learned what I can teach the world and that I can play against the greats.” She was quite disappointed after the loss and perhaps is now waiting for her next turn against the former world number 10!

Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez having a practice session invokes fan mania!

Emma Raducanu is all set to take on another US Open champion, Sloane Stephens in the first round of the Eastbourne International. On the other hand, Leylah Fernandez will face the former world number 2, Barbora Krejcikova in her first match here. So, they couldn’t have asked for a better practice partner before these heavyweight clashes. After seeing them together on the same court and shaking hands with each other, a fan wrote, “I don’t think I expected this picture“. The fan also attached two ‘laughing‘ emojis along with his comment.

Despite her disappointment after the loss in the finals, Leylah Fernandez has often talked about her bond with Emma Raducanu. In 2022, during an interview, she said, “We just want the best for each other. Hopefully, both of us can keep going for many years and play more beautiful matches.” However, some of the fans seek more of a spice between the two in this rivalry! Relating to the recent picture, a fan tweeted, “I’d still be bitter 3 years later if I were Leylah ngl. But I’m sure she’s not as petty as I am.“

Emma Raducanu turned pro in 2018, while Leylah Fernandez became a professional tennis player a year later. However, Raducanu hasn’t yet won any title since the 2021 US Open but so far, Fernandez has grabbed three titles. If there’s something lacking in her trophy cabinet at the moment, then it’s of course a Grand Slam title. Seeing them shake hands together in Eastbourne made a fan feel like they were saying, “Can you give me the US Open title please?“

Shortly after her defeat at the US Open finals, Fernandez said that she thinks she’s now going to carry this loss “for a very long time“. She strongly believes that defeat will motivate her to do better in training and come up with a better performance in her next turn. Is Leylah Fernandez trying to reignite her motivation ahead of the grass-court swing? Well, fans were a bit surprised to see them together in a single frame. One of them wrote, “Never thought we’d see the day.“

After her emphatic victory over the Canadian at the 2021 US Open, Emma Raducanu heaped praise on her opponent. She said, “Leylah is always going to play great tennis and always going to fight. That’s just the competitor she is and that’s why she’s here in the final.” Quite rightly, both of them showcased some incredible performances in that tournament. Fans now want to see more of this rivalry and they want them to perform well in the upcoming tournaments. “Its about time we had another incredible slam run from these two! Good luck Leylah and Emma!” said the other. Share your thoughts on the 2021 US Open final, do you think we are heading to another clash between the two this year?