In the 21 years since the Spice Girls formed, there have been many manifestations of young women living up to their famous slogan but the victory of 18-year-old Emma Raducanu at New York’s Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows provided one of the great and optimistic feelgood moments of the post-pandemic world this weekend. Emma, and her redoubtable opponent Leylah Fernandez, 19, delivered an unforgettable treat that helped rekindle the belief that tomorrow might be a better place, and it was moving to see Billie Jean King, that redoubtable campaigner for equality in all its manifestations, there to give her blessing and encouragement to the young generation.

Source: Irish Examiner September 13, 2021 07:18 UTC