"Tough act to follow for both of them" - Evert on Raducanu and Fernandez

Chris Evert thinks it will be very hard for Leylah Fernandez and Emma Raducanu to replicate what they did at last year's US Open.

The duo ensured the first teenage US Open final in a long time and it was a fairly good one. Raducanu was the sturdier player outlasting Fernandez who was too nervous and committed far too many mistakes. The Brit won the event but failed to live up to high expectations after the win, as Fernandez dealt with an injury for most of the season.

In a talk with ESPN, Evert admitted that she doesn't see them doing it this year again: "Tough act to follow for both Emma and Leylah, it’s going to be a tough act to follow."

Expanding further on her thoughts Evert added:

"I love watching Leylah play. I mean, talk about passion. Talk about just putting everything into her game, throwing her whole body into her shots, the emotion that she has, the love of the game, the hunger. It’s all still there, maybe more than ever. And she’s really in the thick of — what is she? She’s 14th in the world right now, which is awesome."

Evert didn't comment on Raducanu specifically but her struggles this year have been well documented. It will be interesting to see how she deals with the pressure of being a grand slam defending champion. A possible wrist injury yesterday left her in tears on the court and that's not a good start.