$1.25million: British Teenager Raducanu Becomes The First Qualifier In History To Reach A Grand Slam Final At The US Open

Kate Middleton today led the celebrations and congratulations for British teenage tennis sensation Emma Raducanu who made history today by ruthlessly winning her US Open semi-final in straight sets, securing a place in her first major final and a cheque for a minimum of $1.25million (£900,000).

Boris Johnson and stars including Liam Gallagher and Piers Morgan took to social media to praise the 18-year-old from Kent, who is the first ever qualifier into a Grand Slam final after another performance of extraordinary poise saw her defeat seventeenth seed Maria Sakkari 6-1, 6-4 in just 84 minutes. 

Just a month after getting As and A*s in her A-levels from her grammar school in Orpington, Miss Raducanu will be one half of the first all-teenage championship match at a Major in 22 years when she meets world No 73 Leylah Fernandez, the 19 year-old Canadian, on Saturday night from 9pm UK time.

The Duchess of Cambridge, patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, also congratulated Raducanu in a rare tweet she signed off herself.