Can Emma Raducanu win the US Open?

[@Hinderlengjes]

Having come on this after she won - another fascinating video. Breaks down what we non-expert observers can sort of feel about her style of play, and what makes her such a deceptively efficient killing machine! Pity that this sort of informed content is so rare in this postmodernist era,

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Thank you so much for your compliment! Feel free to subscribe to my channel. I will do more of these posts for sure.

[@sachinmane1422]

You proved right as she had won US Open 2021. You have great eye for players

[@watchinginawe]

Bravo Meike, tremendous analysis. I think this explains perfectly why Rogers, Bencic, Sakkara and Fernandez all made the same post match comment that “I didn’t play the way I can.” Emma took the time away from them so they were rushed and couldn’t impose their game on her. This is very scary for the field as I can only see Emma getting stronger and better and if she is bamboozling them now God help them going forward. I actually see in Emma an attempt to play the game at the pace and with the guile of Federer. I think she is going to be a monster champion.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

I'm looking forward to watching her a lot more. Hopefully, our next chance to see her is at Indian Wells!

[@watchinginawe]

@@MeikeBabelTennis Definitely! She is box office.

[@morganross6399]

She does have incredible footwork. She looks so graceful in motion.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Years and years of work.

[@julycottage]

Thanks for your excellent analysis of how good Emma's technique is!

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

You’re welcome and thank you. And yes, Emma is so young and has so much time to learn

[@julycottage]

@@MeikeBabelTennis Thank you once again! I played tennis today and tried to put into practice the good elements you highlighted in Emma’s forehand with some success I might add. Looking forward to watching your other videos!

[@LordKarma101]

Your analysis is spot on!

[@iamnotfooled]

You were spot on. I m imoressed

[@tullochgorum6323]

Insightful analysis! Plus Navratilova was saying in commentary that Emma has the best return she's seen since Serina. Plus she has a decent service game to back it up. Plus she's exceptional in the clutch. And she's only been on the tour a couple of months. Excited to see where this remarkable young lady takes her game as she matures. Especially as a Brit!

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

She has a a phenomenal return. So difficult for the opponent to NOT start the point out defensively. I'm looking forward to see Emma play against the big servers like Kvitova, Pliskova and Barty and see what she does to them :-)

[@tullochgorum6323]

@@MeikeBabelTennis Well, she knows the Murrays and hits with them, so it's not as though she hasn't seen a big serve before. As you say, it will be interesting to see how her technique holds up against the heaviest hitting women. I just hope that supporters cut her some slack and bear in mind that she's only had 7 weeks on the tour. And that she missed out on 18 months of her development during the lockdown. She is supernaturally mature for her level of experience, but there will inevitably be ups and downs as she adjusts to life on the road.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

@@tullochgorum6323 I wholeheartedly agree! Right now, she's everybody's darling but, unfortunately, if she loses a few matches I can already see the nay-sayers saying it was all a fluke. Especially people who have no idea what the pressures are that she'll have to deal with and will bet on her. Those are the real nutcases with death threats etc ...

[@tullochgorum6323]

@@MeikeBabelTennis This is very real. I recently watched a documentary on poor Monica Seles... And of course, being mixed race she will have to put up with the racist harassment as well. I've already seen someone criticise her "horrible slanty eyes" and it will only go downhill from there. It's troubling what athletes have to put up with just for exercising their craft. One of Emma's grandmothers actually tried to talk her out of tennis after all the abuse she had to take when she withdrew from Wimbledon, because she didn't want to see her put through all that again. But Emma seems to have the maturity and support network to make the best of it. I guess it's just the flip side of the kind of high public profile that brings in the millions from the sponsors. You can't have one without the other. Do players lower down the pro rankings have to put up with abuse, or is it only the top stars?

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

@@tullochgorum6323 Barf, that's disgusting! Unfortunately, it's everybody even the lower ranked players. And they have less resources to hire a PR person who can filter their accounts. They depend even more on the few bucks they can make with endorsements. Both men and women are attacked but with women it goes really quickly into appearance and sexualized violence. Marketa Vondrousova shared some of the threats she received after losing to Emma (losing big bucks for ppl who bet on her as the favorite). Absolutely appalling!

[@fourthmwu]

You are absolutely right. Very accurately analysis. She won.

[@mitzy123]

Whatever comes out of this final is a bonus either way. Both young ladies are extremely likable. Their determination and mental strength is awe inspiring. In a sport dominated by big egos its so refreshing to see.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

YES! I agree! And they both seem to have really grounded families and good support systems. I'm looking forward to seeing MUCH MORE of these two.

[@johnsabanat2552]

Well said mam! perfect, may the lucky one get the championship

[@bournejason66]

I love the analysis. I love Emma’s ground strokes and serve, no complicated movements, simple yet efficient and smooth. Her attacking style reminds me of Federer. Too bad Barty lost a round prior but I’m sure we will see the two play against each other and it’ll be a tense and blockbuster match.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

I agree, that would have been one heck of a match. But I'm hopeful that we see that match up in the future!

[@SphericalHang]

Great analysis. Thanks!

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Thank you! Feel free to subscribe to my channel and recommend it to your tennis friends :-)

[@josephjackson5088]

Lets hope success does not spoil either one of these two teenagers. Their play on court and character off court has been awesome.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Absolutely agree. They both seem to have really down to earth families and support system though, so hopefully, they can enjoy the ride and continue to develop as athletes and people. Definitely a big win for women's tennis!

[@Agent77X]

Love your analysis!

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Thank you. Be on the lookout tomorrow then when I'm breaking down Leylah Fernandez's run :-)

[@matthewhackett1710]

ER beat LF at Junior Wimbledon, their only meeting before. ER seems to be able to just bulldoze everyone. I would be amazed if LF takes a set off her. No one has so far. Quite miraculous. For British followers of Tennis, this must feel ridiculous, after 44 years of spectacular and not so spectacular unfulfillment, in general, with a few flashes of success from Andy Murray etc.

[@cmartin_ok]

As a Brit, what I can say is "thank goodness for the miraculous!"

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

@@cmartin_ok I can't imagine what's going on in Britain right now. It was kinda weird to have "Sweet Caroline" playing at the US Open, I hadn't realized that it has become the "new" British anthem :-).

[@cmartin_ok]

@@MeikeBabelTennis She's almost a national hero, certainly the most famous person in the news. I just hope she gets to see Wall Street and a few other sights in NYC before she flies home. I was 46 before I could afford to visit the USA and NYC, and that was after 9-11 so I never got to see the Twin Towers

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

@@cmartin_ok It for sure will be crazy. I don't think she realizes what she's done and even if she says her life won't change it has as of yesterday. So yeah, put on a hat and some glasses and do some sightseeing bc in NY ppl won't care a such who she is. But the times that she can just walk down a street in GB without ppl recognizing her are over.

[@KaitainCPS]

@@MeikeBabelTennis It’s been adopted in England specifically…has become an anthem of the England national football team and its fans.

[@lleange363]

excited for AO and see if who she will meet on the top 10

[@MrSitemaster2]

Meiike Babel Tennis - This may interest you as a player/coach, In the U.K while the U.S open was on they showed interviews with her former coaches talking about her game and how she improved so much. She was always one of the best juniors in the country as you can imagine but two fundamental changes were made to her game: 1:- She used to hit the forehand with a very western grip that generated a lot of spin which was good for consistency but not for hitting through the court and really pressuring your opponent. So her forehand grip was changed to a more semi-western grip. 2:- Given her: size, build, technique etc it was recommended that she change her tennis racket, so she plays with one that's slightly longer than standard.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

That is very interesting. Although it looks like she now plays with the regular Wilson Blade.

[@MrSitemaster2]

@@MeikeBabelTennis The racket she uses is actually a Wilson Steam 100 which is 27.25 inches in length a Wilson Blade is 27 inches in length. Her rackets are actually painted to look like a Wilson Blade.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

@@MrSitemaster2 Got it. It's interesting to me that she still uses the longer version then now that her growth has caught up. She's 5.8 or 5.9 depending on what source and that definitely not on the shorter side anymore.

[@MrSitemaster2]

@@MeikeBabelTennis Wouldn't a longer racket, assuming you can handle it, give you more leverage and power or am I being too naive here?

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

@@MrSitemaster2 No you're right. It also depends on how it's weighted.

[@julycottage]

Unfortunately, she lost in Romania because she made too many mistakes, perhaps pushing too hard and not as patient and calm. But as she said, she's still learning.

[@cesarfernandezlopez2209]

She can win indeed , I don't know what Fernandez is thinking about entertaining that possibility ...😂 , definitely a match not to be missed 👏🏻🎾 ,thank you 👍🏻❤️

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

:-)))

[@Azv8217]

Emma won, Mexican... How abt that ?

[@devinedude3690]

Wonderfully insightful.... Cheers🥂😎👍🏽

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Thank you! Feel free to subscribe to my channel and recommend it to your tennis friends :-)

[@geofthompson3844]

Thanks for your expertise. People seem so surprised by her success but in reality the women's game is quite open recently. Without the Williams sisters there's no player that's dominant. Hence why we keep seeing different players winning slams. It's more about the draw, fitness, and surface imo. And momentum, which can be massive in a tournament. Emma has enough to compete. Now we will see if she can repeat this success consistently. Same for leyla. If so we could be set for a great rivalry.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

I whole heartedly agree. A lot fo factors have to come together for someone to win a Grand Slam (and then do it consistently). I'm really excited for so many players and different personalities having a chance to win big, makes it a lot more interesting to watch.

[@geofthompson3844]

@@MeikeBabelTennis yeah, those 2 coco and others all capable of matching each other should make for lots of great matches. Exciting times for womens tennis. Thanks for your reply 👍 🙂.

[@PeterFreemantennis]

good job coach

[@nigeltaylor2757]

Given Emma's ranking and lack of experience at this level, what made her believe she can beat these girls? The final I can understand a bit as she'd played Leylah and beaten her before at junior Wimbledon 2018.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

I truly believe that she's capable of staying in the moment. I know that sounds so cliché but it really felt that she didn't focus on what these other players had already accomplished. "I'm playing my game and let's see what happens!". The bravado of youth really.

[@nigeltaylor2757]

@@MeikeBabelTennis But haven't the other girls say ranked 100 - 300 tried this?

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

@@nigeltaylor2757 You'd be amazed how little believe in themselves newcomers have at times. I'm basing this on my own experience and on conversations I had with my peers. Imposter syndrome comes to mind. And of course, she has a ton of skills: great return, good serve, great footwork, backhand is amazing etc.

[@iurietivladut7607]

And she won! Enough said! I'd add the word "Unbelievable" to this comment as well.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Agree! Feel free to subscribe to my channel and recommend it to your tennis friends :-)

[@shockwaveh]

What’s your opinion on Emma against a lefty like Leylah? Would Leylah’s shots throw off Emma’s timing or rhythm?

[@grantmalone]

Yes.

[@latest3dsgames]

If Emma keeps her game together at the start of the match and plays as well as she has done so far I think yshe will dominate Leylah. However is she has another nervy start I think Leylah will capitalise on this and win the first set. Then it really depends who can keep it together for the rest of the match.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

I had very similar thoughts in the beginning but then Emma pulled it off!

[@KaitainCPS]

I thought Raducanu looked rattled for a couple of games after Fernandez broke her in game three, but she rode out the storm and never really looked nervous subsequently.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

@@KaitainCPS Which I think is amazing considering it's the biggest match of her life on the biggest stage in tennis. I remember walking out on Arthur Ashe court for a practice session without any spectators and I was intimidated!!!

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

I got to hit on it one time and I had goose bumps, and nobody was in it!

[@tennisbum7527]

Apparently the answer to her winning was yes. It seemed that from time to time Raducanu used a pattern of hitting her forehand very deep down the line on approach shots to Fernandez's lefty forehand (in theory a strength). Fernandez seemed on more than a few occasions to be surprised enough to even be wrong footed or forced into a less than ideal shot. So my question is do you think right handed recreational players can employ this successfully to give a different look when playing lefties or it would be too low percentage for them.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Most lefties will expect to have their backhands played for sure. I think when you're in great court position and on balance you can absolutely go to your opponent's strength. It's something you have to test out from opponent to opponent, I'd say.

[@darrenlamb5640]

This girl is just outstanding. I truly believe we are witnessing the beginning of an amazing career...she has the talent to dominate womens tennis for years to come imo. And shes still going to improve over the next few years... thats scary and the other women players must be really taking her seriously now. Her shots are so powerful and accurate. I have never seen a talent like hers in the womens game. That includes serena and hingis and sharapova. I think she would he a handful for any of those players... and thats now. By her early 20s i think she will be unplayable..yep truly think we are witnessing the future..shes going to be a superstar

[@fishandchips9033]

Darren lamb Nope she won't dominate.

[@darrenlamb5640]

@@fishandchips9033 she already is!!

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

She for sure has all the tools to become a force. Now it's a matter of her being able to deal with the mega attention she will get. But she seems really grounded and has a good support system so let's hope she can develop further. For sure, it will be fun to watch her. Her and Leylah both.

[@darrenlamb5640]

@@fishandchips9033 i guess time will tell but keep in mind that there is no way emma is at her peak and she has years left in which to improve. Her potential is off the charts

[@watchinginawe]

@@fishandchips9033 Don’t bet a lot of money on that buddy. I have a feeling she is a once in a lifetime talent and winning this with so little experience showed how mentally strong she is. Personally I think the other girls will be absolutely terrified of her and most will be beaten before they step on the court.

[@pointfire94]

Leylah is always on her toes, she's hustled her way into the final. A little bias here in Toronto? lol Enjoy the match!

[@benthekeeshond545]

Are you referring to Emma being a native baby of Toronto? I love both of them and since they are in the final, I already won.

[@pointfire94]

@@benthekeeshond545 So refreshing to witness such lovely ladies! Enjoy the match, sir.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

@@benthekeeshond545 Canada is a huge winner :-) I think all of women's tennis has won with these two!

[@benjaminpadilla4857]

Who did she beat ? Ít was not in the news .

[@yinxingm4738]

emma is a winner

[@bournejason66]

Does she use semi western or western grip ?

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

I think she's not in a full western, her heel pad is not fully under the grip so I think semi-western

[@SuperJay12jay]

Is this the first time having an all asian champion finals in US Open? They are both big winners regardless who wins. They both got a bright future.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

I agree. This is an absolute win for women's tennis. I was jokingly saying to a friend yesterday that I should move to Canada or England now and coach the upcoming tide of junior girls who will be inspired by these two.

[@lleange363]

she didnt let her opponent to regroup and restrategize.. emma is like sampras she neutralizes their opponent

[@peterpan8627]

She can but Leyla beaten so many stars on the way that I got no choice but wish her the win.

[@Azv8217]

Emma busted Leylah's ugly sorry Philipino butt and won straight sets... Peter Pan... GROW UP !!!

[@talesara74]

She is winning...this is time traveller

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

She is just an amazing athlete and human being! Feel free to subscribe to my channel and recommend it to your tennis friends :-)

[@cmartin_ok]

Almost a year on, and the question now is "can Emma win the 2022 US Open?" Will covid, multiple injury scares and being stalked by a weird older man take their toll on her ability?

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

As we saw, yes, it didn't surprise me that she lost early. BUT I still admire how even keeled she is and how she's reframing all the negativity into learning experiences for her. She's gonna be able to play more freely now that the "catastrophe" has happened and it wouldn't surprise me if we see some great results from her. After all, this was her first full year on tour and with Covid and injuries even that was cut short.

[@cmartin_ok]

@@MeikeBabelTennis I wonder how much Alcaraz's amazing victory this year (2022) can be attributed to Emma's 2021 victory? It surely inspired him to prove that age and ability can overcome experience

[@Ravi_yadavsaab]

Daniel Bryan - YES YES YES 😂😂

[@Me-ll4ig]

I don’t think Layleh Fernandez will be particularly successful in her tennis career. I just don’t see it happening. She will be another Coco Gauff, not winning majors or few. Raducanu performed well at Wimbledon and her shot making was very impressive and got better at the U.S. Open. It is within herself how successful she can be.

[@shane708]

Both of them are still very young in the Tennis world, most players win their 1 or more Grand Slam in their 20s. If you talking about success, as in repeating Steffi Graff or Serena with 20+ Grand Slam then yeah it will be very hard, especially now when the gap between the top 10 to top 50 WTA are very small. We do not yet see how Emma facing the top 10 WTA (except Sakari that rank 10 now), so we have to manage our expectation and not putting too much on the 18 years old like media that hype something too much but then will be the one that destroys it when it failed their expectation.

[@tobisherwood7853]

One sure bet, is that the winner of the women's US open was born in Canada.

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

True :-) Great tournament for Canada with FAA also making the semis!

[@rich.e]

@@MeikeBabelTennis Yes, well done Canadians but if I may.... as well as Emma's record-breaking win, Joe Salisbury won both Men's doubles (against Andy Murray's brother, Jamie) and Mixed Doubles, whilst Alfie Hewitt and Gordon Reid completed a calendar Grand Slam in the wheelchair doubles... I think the Brits took this one. (finally!) But fair play to Leylah, too. Gave Emma her toughest test and was once again coming back into the match when behind in the second set. Fantastic hard hitting and retrieving; just look at the players she beat! An incredible tournament and some of the some most pulsating and dramatic womens tennis seen in a long time - more please!

[@TennisTrollChannel]

Have you considered coaching a pro?

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

Yes, but I don't want travel anymore :-) I've done that for 20 years of my life and it gets old.

[@SkinLuxxe]

I actually believe Leyla will win this! Don’t underestimate her! I understand technically the breakdown of Emma’s strokes are superb and all credit to her making finals. But to defeat Osaka svitolina Kerber and sablenka!! That’s more than impressive and she has been far more challenged. Leyla has that X factor… that special fight about her that just can’t compare. Her instincts on court and tennis IQ are out of this world. She can drop shot, lob slice…. Place her serves on point….not to mention doing it all when back is against the wall. she is not afraid and never backs down. It will also come down to nerves and who can handle the pressure. I have seen Emma retire in juniors as well as big stage in Wimbledon . Leyla has that hunger. Her game has a lot of variety and construction of points. She is a reall problem solver and thinker on court! Emma has beautiful strokes and amazing serve but I don’t think it will be enough. She has advantage that leyla had some long matches so she may be a little tired. The crowd could play a role too but they have been rooting for both players so that should be interesting! Should be a great match! Can’t wait!

[@MeikeBabelTennis]

I agree. Leylah has that "Nadalish" side to her and even though she lost, she's gonna make us watch many more great tennis fights. I'm excited for both of these young athletes and their future. From what I'm reading and seeing, both have great, grounded support systems sho hopefully, they can both enjoy the hype and continue to develop into even better players.

[@SkinLuxxe]

@@MeikeBabelTennis yes! Very exciting for tennis!! Can’t wait to see moving forward and will be so fun to watch! Btw great video and breakdown!

[@rica4th]

Most experts and analyst expecting Laylah to lose. They expect her to lose against Osaka, Kerber, Isvitolina, Sabalenka. I am not surprise they expect her to lose the Finals against a much more dominant opponent. Laylah will always play like an underdog no matter who she plays against because of how the scores went and the way she plays and she is definitely an underdog. win or lose, I am rooting for the underdog

[@robguerrero685]

If the game goes to 3 sets, Leyla will gonna win. Emma had a bad history in Wimbledon, watch the video. She was down one set and far behind on the second set. If Leyla lose in the first set and win on the second set, she will win because Emma is not strong enough to face defeat.

[@dtrjones]

These comments are a bit silly. Rica how on earth is Laylah the underdog having beat 3 top ten players, Emma is a qualifier - Emma did superbly and didn't lose a set. Emma had to be the underdog and had nearly the whole crowd against her. Rob "bad history at Wimbledon", harsh as it was her first slam. I'll remind you she beat Laylah as a Junior at Wimbledon in 2018 and she reached the fourth round! Her issues were physical which clearly inhibited her performance but she's over that now.

[@rica4th]

@@dtrjones Now Emma is clearly GIANT and Laylah is clearly the junior size underdog

[@rica4th]

@@dtrjones Finalist Leylah Fernandez at the US Open 2021: How she beat the world #2, 3, 5 and 17! kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5vOpZild9BsjcU

[@rica4th]

@@dtrjones Leylah Fernandez | Top 10 Points | 2021 US Open kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4LElGqJps5nZpY

[@karem9605]

Emma lost yesterday a pity

[@jackburgess8579]

Emma has a good chance to win but I am surprised that she is the favourite. When I look at Leylah I see Nadal.

[@robguerrero685]

Yes you are right. She is Nadal version of a woman. Emma had not a great game in Wimbledon, when she is behind, she will quit and lose confidence. If she face tougher opponent, she will rattled and gone. As Leyla, she is so tough and even she was down, she fight back. She is indeed like Nadal..

[@AK-qy3gp]

Tf hahah weirdo

[@jackburgess8579]

@@AK-qy3gp What the hell is wrong with you?

[@KaitainCPS]

When I look at Emma I see Agassi.

[@lleange363]

emma is a sampras type.. wont let her opponent makr a move went she smells blood..

[@rica4th]

I am for the underdog so I want Laylah to win. Go Laylah!

[@baotruongnhat8093]

Laylah is one year older and has higher ranking, she is not the underdog

[@rica4th]

@@baotruongnhat8093 I am talking about the strength and dominance, and what most of the experts are predicting, most of them are predicting that Emma would dominate Laylah so that is why Laylah is the clear underdog

[@baotruongnhat8093]

@@rica4th Leylah is very consistent and has more experience than Emma!

[@rica4th]

@@baotruongnhat8093 I don't know, Laylah wins are more of an upsets, not dominant, very close but very exciting matches which could go either way. Emma is just so dominant and demolishes all opponents, never lose a set and have played more opponents in the US open because of being a qualifier

[@baotruongnhat8093]

@@rica4th she is a qualifier come on. Facts r facts. Leylah has the upper hand. Pressure on Leylah