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After US Open final loss, Leylah Fernandez wants to match New York's resolve after 9/11 attacks

Canada's Leylah Fernandez (Photo/ US Open Tennis Twitter)
Canada's Leylah Fernandez (Photo/ US Open Tennis Twitter)

New York [US], September 12 (ANI): After suffering a defeat in the women's final of the US Open, Canada's Leylah Fernandez has said that she wants to match the resilience shown by New York after the 9/11 attacks.

The 19-year-old Leylah was not even born in 2001 when terrorists attacked New York, but she hopes to match the resolve shown by the city after the deadly attacks.

"I just wanted to let them know that they're so strong, they're so resilient. They're just incredible. Just having them here happy, lively, just going back to the way they were, having my back during these tough moments, has made me stronger and has made me believe in myself a lot more," the official website of US Open quoted Fernandez as saying.

American tennis player Andy Roddick also praised Leylah for taking out time and addressing the 9/11 attacks.

"Leylah asking for the mic back to acknowledge 9/11 was one of the classiest, most empathetic, and mature things I've ever seen in a post game moment ......... and she's only 19. I'm blown away," tweeted Roddick.

Emma Raducanu defeated Canada's Leylah Fernandez in the US Open women's singles final on Saturday (local time) to become the first British woman to win the title in 53 years. She is also the first British woman in 44 years to win a Grand Slam singles title.

"The most important lesson that I've learned is how to recuperate after so many great wins in a row. After every win, I was so happy, so excited. I just wanted to go back on court and play again. I was very lucky to have a great team behind me, telling me to calm down, enjoy this win now, then the very next day let's get back to work. I'm glad that I had that opportunity to learn, to actually know how to organize myself in these moments," said Fernandez.

Raducanu is now the first British woman to win a major title since Virginia Wade in 1977 - and the legend was in attendance to witness Raducanu's achievement.

The 18-year-old Emma Raducanu defeated her Canadian opponent in straight sets 6-4, 6-3 in the summit clash held at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York.

Raducanu had become the first qualifier, male or female, to ever advance to a major final. It is the first all-teenage major final since Serena Williams defeated Martina Hingis at the 1999 US Open.

She was the youngest British major finalist in 62 years, the first British woman to reach a major final in 44 years, and the first British woman to reach the US Open final in 53 years, as per wtatennis.com. (ANI)