Which qualifier won the 2021 US Open women's singles title without dropping a set?

Emma Raducanu won the 2021 US Open women’s singles title as a qualifier without dropping a set.

Raducanu defeated Leylah Fernandez 6–4, 6–3 in the final. She won all three qualifying matches and seven main-draw matches, completing the tournament without losing a set. She also became the first qualifier, male or female, to win a Grand Slam singles tournament in the Open Era.

At 18, Raducanu was the youngest major champion since Maria Sharapova won Wimbledon in 2004. Her world ranking was No. 150 when she won, making her the lowest-ranked player to capture a major since Kim Clijsters at the 2009 US Open.

The achievement is sometimes confused with Fernandez’s run: Fernandez reached the final as an unseeded player and defeated several highly ranked opponents, but Raducanu was the qualifier and champion. Raducanu also became the first British woman to win a singles major since Virginia Wade’s 1977 Wimbledon title.