As well as Britain’s Emma Raducanu, Leylah Annie Fernandez and Carlos Alcaraz have flourished at Flushing Meadows
As Leylah Annie Fernandez basked in the joy of her improbable third round comeback win over Naomi Osaka earlier last week, she was asked on the court in her post-match interview at what point she truly believed that she could topple such a champion. Her response was immediate. “From the very beginning,” Fernandez said. The crowd reacted with a surprised murmur. “Right before the match, I knew I was able to win.”
Against Osaka, the third seed, Fernandez had trailed 7-5, 6-5 as Osaka served for a straight sets win. Two days later, Angelique Kerber led their contest 6-4, *4-3 and appeared to have taken the upper hand in a tight tussle. Both times that Fernandez found herself at the cliff-edge, she elevated her level and recovered her footing to win.