NEW YORK: Canadian teen sensation Leylah Fernandez advanced to her first Grand Slam final on Thursday by defeating world number two Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in the US Open semifinals.
The 19-year-old prodigy eliminated Wimbledon semifinalist Sabalenka 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-4 and could capture her first Slam crown on Saturday at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“I don’t know how I got that last point in but I’m glad it was and I’m glad I’m in the finals,” Fernandez said.
Fernandez will play for the title against the winner of a later semifinal between Greek 17th seed Maria Sakkari and 18-year-old British qualifier Emma Raducanu.
Fernandez, a 73rd-ranked left-hander, made Sabalenka her third top-five victim of the Open, having earlier ousted defending champion Naomi Osaka and fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina.
Not since Serena Williams in 2012 at Wimbledon had a player beaten three rivals ranked in the top five at a Grand Slam.
If Fernandez meets 150th-ranked Raducanu in the final, it would be the first Slam final between teens since 17-year-old Williams beat 18-year-old Martina Hingis at the 1999 US Open — and only the eighth all-teen Slam final in the Open era (since 1968).
“I don’t care. I just want to play a final,” Fernandez said. “I’m going to enjoy my victory and worry about it tomorrow.”
Fernandez, who turned 19 on Monday, never went deeper than the third round in six prior Slam starts.
Sabalenka broke in the second game of the match on a forehand volley winner and dominated early with power shots, but Fernandez found her form and broke back to 4-3 on a Sabalenka double fault and they held into a tie-breaker.
Fernandez’s father-coach Jorge preached mental toughness in her training and it showed in the tie-break.
Sabalenka, 23, netted a forehand with a wide-open court to hand Fernandez a 3-2 edge. The teen never trailed after that, winning the last four points to claim the first set in 53 minutes.
“That’s years and years of work and tears and blood and sacrifice,” said Fernandez of her mental toughness.
Fernandez blasted a service winner to lead 4-3, saw Sabalenka mis-hit an overhead smash wide and double fault, then fired another service winner for the set, prompting the Ashe stadium music director to play the Eric Clapton song “Layla” as the crowd roared.
“I have no idea (how I won),” said Fernandez. “I’d say it’s thanks to the New York crowd. They helped me. They cheered for me. They never gave up.”
Sabalenka broke to open the second set but Fernandez broke back to 2-2 with a backhand slice winner.
Fernandez, however, sent a forehand long to surrender a break in the ninth game and Sabalenka held at love to force a third set.
After an exchange of breaks in the sixth and seventh games, Fernandez held to 5-4 and Sabalenka crumbled with the match on the line, issuing back-to-back double faults to 0-40 and sending a forehand long to fall after two hours and 21 minutes.
Fernandez hit 26 winners with 23 unforced errors to 52 unforced errors by Sabalenka with 45 winners.
Sakkari and Raducanu were set for their first-ever meeting with a Slam final berth at stake.
Raducanu would be the first qualifier to reach a Grand Slam final after becoming only the fourth to reach a Slam semifinal, the first at the US Open.
Raducanu is trying to become the first British woman to win a Grand Slam title since Virginia Wade at Wimbledon in 1977 and the first British woman to win the US Open since Wade in 1968.
She would become only the second woman ranked outside the top 100 to reach a US Open final after unranked Kim Clijsters came out of retirement and won the 2009 US Open.
Teen Fernandez beats Sabalenka to reach US Open final
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Teen Fernandez beats Sabalenka to reach US Open final
- Fernandez, who turned 19 on Monday, never went deeper than the third round in six prior Slam starts
Ravaglia heroics lead Bologna to Italian Super Cup final in Riyadh
- Despite falling behind early, Bologna equalized in the 34th minute before prevailing on penalties
RIYADH: It was a night of shared football culture in Riyadh as Inter Milan and Bologna met in the second 2025/26 Italian Super Cup semi-final. The travelling Inter support brought their drums, colour and constant noise, blending with Saudi Inter fans to create a lively atmosphere inside the stadium.
The match began at a blistering pace, with Inter taking the lead less than two minutes after kick-off. Marcus Thuram powered home from close range after meeting an accurate cross from Alessandro Bastoni to score the opening goal of the night.
Inter immediately searched for a second, with Ange-Yoan Bonny going close in the fourth minute, feinting past Torbjorn Heggem before dragging his effort just wide of the post.
After Inter’s early barrage, Bologna began to grow into the contest, with Jens Odgaard leading much of the offence. Goalkeeper Josep Martinez was called into action to preserve Inter’s advantage.
The energy among Inter supporters continued to build, with fans jumping in unison and lifting their scarves as they urged their side forward in search of a second goal.
That momentum was checked in the 34th minute, when a VAR review resulted in a penalty for Bologna. Riccardo Orsolini slotted the spot-kick coolly past Martinez to bring I Rossoblu back level.
Inter pushed forward after the break as the game opened up, but there was no getting past Bologna goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia, who made four saves in the second half alone.
Hope briefly returned for the Nerazzurri when Bonny was brought down in the box in the 56th minute, only for the initial appeal for a penalty to be overturned following consultation with VAR.
Less than 10 minutes later, the stadium rose to welcome Lautaro Martinez. Brought on alongside Andy Diouf and Davide Frattesi in a triple substitution, Lautaro made an immediate impact but was unable to find the decisive goal before the end of regular time.
Bologna came within moments of snatching a winner in injury time, but goalkeeper Martinez reacted sharply to make a crucial save, sending the semi-final into a penalty shootout.
The shootout began evenly, with both sides converting their penalties before goalkeepers intervened at either end. Nicolo Barella then fired over the crossbar, only for Juan Miranda to mirror the miss moments later.
Inter’s struggles from the spot continued as Ravaglia made his second save of the shootout, before Jonathan Rowe gave Bologna the advantage. Stefan de Vrij converted to extend the contest, but Ciro Immobile struck decisively to send Bologna through.
The Rossoblu will now face Napoli in the Italian Super Cup final at Al-Awwal Park on December 22, after the Serie A champions defeated AC Milan 2-0 in the first semi-final.
