Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp celebrates Emma Raducanu’s US Open win

London: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp congratulated Emma Raducanu on winning the US Open, calling her the “talent of the century.” Raducanu, 18, astounded the globe by winning the tennis championship without dropping a single set on Saturday.

And, while the Reds prepare for a crucial Champions League match this week, Klopp took the time to congratulate Britain’s newest sporting celebrity.

“I watched the final, and it was absolutely impressive. It’s been a long time since I watched a full women’s tennis game, to be honest, and I was really impressed by the power, speed, and the whole game. Women’s tennis is obviously in a brilliant moment,” Klopp told reporters of Raducanu’s final victory over Canada’s Leyla Fernandez.

“These two girls were 18 and 19, and what they showed was massively impressive. Both during the game itself, and then during the trophy ceremony. Both girls, how they spoke, at 18 or 19, that was inspiring to be honest, even more so than the tennis! I was absolutely overwhelmed by the way the two girls presented themselves,” he added.

Kloop further added that “Fernandez was obviously disappointed, rightly so, after losing the game, but Emma showed great respect for her. They know and hope they will face each other many more times in the future, many more finals I wish for them as well. It was just a great show of sportsmanship, elite sport, how humble you can be when you are that young and already on top of the world. It was really nice.”

“That’s what you can take from it. If you are 18 years old and you win the US Open, there is one thing that has obviously happened in the last 10-15 years; hard work. She is for sure the talent of the century, but without hard work, it is not possible to be there. To see her there and smiling during the game, it really was the nicest thing I could imagine. I will for sure watch women’s tennis much more now than I did in the last few years,” he concluded.

Raducanu beat fellow youngster Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 in the final in New York on Saturday to become the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title.

She was also the first British woman to reach a Grand Slam final since Virginia Wade, who had previously won the US Open in 1968, won Wimbledon in 1977.

In only her second Grand Slam debut, Raducanu went through qualification and the tournament without dropping a set.