When the 18-year-old Emma Raducanu stepped onto the court in the 2021 U.S. Open qualifying rounds, few predicted the avalanche of history she was about to bring down. A world number ~150, playing her way in through the qualifying draw, she quietly but ruthlessly started ticking off opponents — and not just beating them, but winning every match, every set. She didn’t drop a set in three qualification rounds, then swept through the main draw of the U.S. Open without ever trailing by a set. In total, Raducanu racked up ten straight wins, from qualies through the final, all in straight sets.
This unbroken sequence wasn’t just about winning: it was about dominance under pressure. As a qualifier, she had to play extra matches just to get into the main draw — yet instead of getting tired, she seemed to grow stronger. She became the first qualifier in the Open Era (male or female) to win a Grand Slam. She became the youngest woman since Maria Sharapova to win a major. She became Britain’s first female singles major champion since 1977. And she did it without ever allowing an opponent a single set.
Her route included dispatching seeded players without blinking, controlling big moments with poise, and absorbing crowds, nerves and expectation with the calm of a seasoned champion — though she had barely played in the spotlight before. Her unwavering straight-set record became a symbol of her unstoppable surge.
Why was this run so ground-shaking? Because it smashed many of tennis’s unwritten rules: qualifiers rarely reach the late rounds of majors; rarely do so without dropping sets; rarely do so in their breakthrough performance. Raducanu did all that in one sweep. It told the world: “I’m here, I belong.”
And the emotional weight? Think of years of British tennis hope resting on one teenage girl. Think of the under-dog qualifier rising to the biggest stage — and doing so flawlessly. She inspired a generation.
Let’s never forget: ten matches, ten wins, zero sets lost. That perfect, electric run will forever stand out as one of the purest shock-and-awe moments in tennis history. Because sometimes, the unexpected becomes unforgettable.
From Unknown to Unstoppable: How Emma Raducanu Made U.S. Open History by NEVER Dropping a Set!
