Emma Raducanu completed her historic run through the U.S. Open by beating Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 for her first Grand Slam title on Saturday.

Raducanu was already the first player in the professional era, dating to 1968, to come through the qualifying rounds to reach the final of a major tournament. The 18-year-old from Britain then won it, becoming the youngest Grand Slam champion since 17-year-old Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon of Russia in 2004.

In just her second Grand Slam tournament, Raducanu ended the tournament as the first player since American Serena Williams in 2014 to not drop a set in the U.S. Open.

She closed out the match after needing a medical timeout during her service game for treatment after cutting her knee.

Canadian Fernandez, aged 19, knocked out three top-five players en route to the final but couldn't find the energy for a comeback after playing four straight three-set matches.

"I knew I would have to dig deep," Raducanu said. "It was an incredibly difficult match but I thought the level was really high. I had to play some of my best tennis."

"Both of us were playing fearless tennis for two weeks," Raducanu said. "I hope we play each other in many more tournaments and hopefully finals.

"It shows the future of women's tennis and the depth of the game right now is so great."

Queen Elizabeth II was among the first to pay tribute to Raducanu's win.

"It is a remarkable achievement at such a young age, and is testament to your hard work and dedication," the British monarch said in a statement.

British tennis legends Virginia Wade and Tim Henman were among a sellout crowd of 23,700 that created an electric atmosphere at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the first-ever women's Slam final between unseeded players.

"It means so much to have Virginia here and also Tim and to have such British legends and icons, to follow in their footsteps and it gave me the belief I could actually do it," Raducanu said.

A superstar in the making

At Flushing Meadow her poise and nerveless play belied her age as she became the darling of fans and media.

As a child though, the drive instilled in her by her Romanian father Ian and Chinese mother Renee, who insisted she try a range of activities including go-karting, ballet and horse riding, made her feel a bit of an outsider.

"When I was younger, I was the only girl in my group karting or doing motocross, and I thought it was pretty cool," she explained in Vogue.

"For example, one time, my motocross teacher was like, right, we're going to do press-ups. I was the only one who could do it, so I was proud of myself for that."

It was tennis, though, that her teachers identified from the age of five as the sport in which she would shine.

Her primary school teacher Rebecca Rodger said that when the school held tennis coaching, most of the children had difficulty even making contact with the ball.

"But there was Emma having a rally with the coaches. We couldn't quite believe it. Even then I remember thinking that we were going to see her at Wimbledon," Rodger told The Times.

Raducanu credited her parents for this trait.

"For me, having a Chinese mum, she definitely instilled in me from a young age a lot of discipline and respect for other people into me," she said.

"I think having parents like I do, they always push me.

"They have high expectations. I've always tried to live up to that."

Raducanu's incredible victory at 2021 U.S. Open:

She is the first British woman to win a major singles title since Virginia Wade at Wimbledon in 1977.

She is the first British woman to win U.S. Open singles title since Virginia Wade in 1968.

She is the first qualifier to win a major singles title with an unbeaten history of 20 sets.

She is the youngest woman's major champion since 2004 Wimbledon (Maria Sharapova at the age of 17).

Ranking No. 150 before the U.S. Open, she is the second-lowest ranked U.S. Open champion after Kim Clijsters, who was not ranked in 2009. 

Past 10 winners of the U.S. Open women's singles title:

2021: Emma Raducanu (GBR)

2020: Naomi Osaka (JPN)

2019: Bianca Andreescu (CAN)

2018: Naomi Osaka (JPN)

2017: Sloane Stephens (USA)

2016: Angelique Kerber (GER)

2015: Flavia Pennetta (ITA)

2014: Serena Williams (USA)

2013: Serena Williams (USA)

2012: Serena Williams (USA)

(With input from agencies)