NEW YORK: Emma Raducanu’s life changed in a New York minute on Saturday when she beat Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 in the US Open final, capping her improbable rise from 150th-ranked qualifier to Grand Slam champion.

Already the darling of British tennis with her run to the fourth round of Wimbledon earlier this year, the 18-year-old has cemented her status as a bona fide megastar after swatting aside more experienced opponents and stunning the world of sport to become the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam.