WATCH the US Open Women's singles final - Raducanu v Fernandez - LIVE, FREE and in HD on SBS and live-streamed via SBS On Demand from 6 am (AEST) Sunday, September 12.
The pair have announced themselves on the world stage with their performances at Flushing Meadows this week and cemented their position as two of the next generation of tennis superstars.
The two unseeded players were virtually unknown quantities this year but Fernandez beat three top-five seeds along the way while Raducanu became the first qualifier to reach the final of a tennis Grand Slam.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prime Minister Boris Johnson heaped praise on Raducanu as she defeated 17th seed Maria Sakkari in the semi-final to reach the final without dropping a set at the tournament.
"What an incredible achievement at this year's #USOpen @EmmaRaducanu!" the royals wrote on Twitter.
"We will all be rooting for you tomorrow. Wishing you the best of luck!"
The 18-year-old played only four WTA tournaments before the US Open and the soon-to-be British number one has become the country's biggest star in the process.
"Well done @EmmaRaducanu for a brilliant win at the #USOpen. The whole country will be cheering you on in the final," wrote Johnson.
Raducanu has transformed the year's final major into one of the most compelling in memory, as she now has the chance to become the first British woman to win a Grand Slam since Virginia Wade won Wimbledon in 1977.
Raducanu wasn’t the only one with high profile support with Fernandez earning the backing of Canda’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
"We've got a Canadian in the #USOpen final! Caught the start of the match before heading to the debate and I just want to say congratulations, @leylahfernandez - and good luck in the final," he wrote on Twitter
Fernandez also received a word of advice from Canada's ice hockey captain and three-times Olympic medallist Marie-Philip Poulin, who called her an "inspiration".
"The entire country is behind you," she wrote
"Make sure to have that maple syrup before the final!"
Contrast of style
Fernandez and Raducanu are the first teenagers to meet in the U.S. Open final since 1999, when Serena Williams won the first of her 23 majors at 17, with a victory over 18-year-old Martina Hingis.
Though both are an antidote to ball-bludgeoning tennis, Fernandez and Raducanu bring different strengths to Saturday’s match.
The 5-foot-9 Raducanu, who did ballet and played multiple sports as a child in Great Britain, is agile and fleet on court and denies opponents time by taking the ball early.
While her serve power is lacking, she makes up for it with brilliant timing in her return game.
The left-handed Fernandez, who is 5-6, has a remarkable ability to absorb the blasts of more powerful hitters and redirect the ball, often at sharp angles to open spots on the court even the fittest can’t reach.
However, it is her never say die attitude which is Fernandez’s greatest attribute with the Candian displaying incredible fighting spirit.
The differences in the games of Fernandez and Raducanu should make an engaging on-court battle and a final no tennis fan will want to miss.
SBS will broadcast all US Open men’s and women’s singles quarter-finals, semi-finals and both finals LIVE, FREE and in HD, and live streamed via SBS On Demand from September 8-13
