Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp says Emma Raducanu's US Open victory was a great moment that has enthused him to watch more of the women's game,
The 18-year-old made history on Saturday night, becoming the first qualifier to win a major title in the Open era with a straight-sets win over fellow teen Leylah Fernandez.
Speaking ahead of Liverpool's Champions League game with AC Milan on Wednesday, Klopp said it was a great moment and he also seemed to really appreciate the standard of tennis on offer.
"I watched the game, the final, and it was absolutely impressive.
"It’s long ago that I watched a full tennis game, it’s long ago that I watched a full women’s tennis game, and I was really impressed by the power and the speed and the whole game.
"I think women’s tennis is obviously in a brilliant moment.
"These two girls were 18 and 19 and what they showed was massively impressive during the game and then we watched the interviews and the trophy ceremony as well and both girls, how they spoke, at 18 and 19 – that was inspiring, to be honest, maybe more than the tennis and that was already inspiring enough.
"But I was absolutely overwhelmed by the way the two girls presented themselves. Fernandez was obviously disappointed losing the game, rightly so, it was a really close game. Emma showed great respect for her.
"They knew and they hoped they would face each other in the future very often and be in many more finals – I wish that for them as well."
It's a teenage dream 🎶@leylahfernandez | @EmmaRaducanu pic.twitter.com/QG5QfeKdUK
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 11, 2021
Klopp admitted to not knowing too much about the tactics and techniques of the game.
He did however have high praise for Raducanu's character and work rate.
He labeled her as an ambassador for her sport and said the success has encouraged him to watch more of it.
"It was just a great show of sportsmanship, of elite sport, how humble you can be when you are that young and already on the top of the world, even when it is only for a few hours but they were, obviously. It was really nice. That’s what you can take.
"About the tennis story I don’t know enough, but when you are 18 years old and able to win the US Open, it’s clear there is one thing that happened in the last 10 or 15 years and that is the hardest work because otherwise it wouldn’t happen. She is for sure a talent of the century but without hardest work, it’s not possible to be there.
"That she did that, and now she is there in that moment and you see her smiling during the game, that’s just the nicest thing I can imagine. I will watch women’s tennis for sure much more now again, than I did in the last few years."
