Irish Examiner View: Girl power points way ahead for women's sport  

Teenage tennis sensations produce a fantastic duel in New York

Britain's Emma Raducanu took her first Grand Slam  title at Flushing Meadows on Saturday night.

In the 21 years since the Spice Girls formed, there have been many manifestations of young women living up to their famous slogan but the victory of 18-year-old Emma Raducanu at New York’s Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows provided one of the great and optimistic feelgood moments of the post-pandemic world this weekend.

Emma, and her redoubtable opponent Leylah Fernandez, 19, delivered an unforgettable treat that helped rekindle the belief that tomorrow might be a better place, and it was moving to see Billie Jean King, that redoubtable campaigner for equality in all its manifestations, there to give her blessing and encouragement to the young generation.

The Spice Girls themselves tweeted: “Wow! Amazing tennis . . . that’s Girl Power right there.” And Scottish tennis coach Judy Murray had it right when she said: “If you can see it, you can be it. Visibility is crucial for women’s sport.”

For Emma, whose parents were unable to attend the final because of the draconian travel restrictions to the US, the future will look after itself helped by a prize cheque of €2.1m. For now she, and the rest of us, can smile when we recollect one of sport’s great occasions.