The ‘calming influence’ of coach Andrew Richardson, her physio, agent and LTA heads of
Tennis have all lent support
![How Emma Raducanu’s team combined to steer her to US Open final | Tumaini Carayol](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/0ff681a19158638b7035f8984c44e942f69d7a22/0_145_4338_2603/master/4338.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=3467e0634dfb126b76697e2fd8a58903)
If Emma Raducanu’s surprise run to the fourth round of
Wimbledon in July was a life-changing experience, then her journey to a maiden grand slam final at the
US Open has ensured that it will never be the same.
By defeating Maria Sakkari, the 17th seed, 6-1, 6-4 on Thursday, Raducanu became the first qualifier in history to reach a grand slam final. She has done so in only her fourth tour-level event since she started her full-time professional tennis career after finishing her A-levels in the summer.