Emma Raducanu defeated Leylah Fernandez in the final, 6–4, 6–3 to win the women's singles tennis title at the 2021 US Open. It was her first major title. Raducanu became the first qualifier to win a major. She was the first British woman to win a singles major since Virginia Wade at the 1977 Wimbledon Championships, and the second player to win the US Open on her tournament debut. Aged 18, Raducanu was the youngest major champion since Maria Sharapova at the 2004 Wimbledon Championships, and with a ranking of world No. 150, the lowest-ranked player to win a major since Kim Clijsters at the 2009 US Open. She did not lose a set during the tournament, including during her three qualification matches, and was not taken to a tiebreak in any set. It was her first WTA Tour-level singles title, making her the fourth woman in the Open Era to win a major as her first singles title. Raducanu won the title on only her second major main-draw appearance, an Open Era record.