Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu continued her remarkable rise by clinching the first Grand Slam title of her fledgling career with victory over Serena Williams in the 2019 US Open final.

The 19-year-old is something of an ITF poster girl having represented Canada at flagship tournaments such as the ITF World Junior Tennis Finals in 2014 and Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas the following year. Now, she is her nation's first Grand Slam singles champion.

Andreescu also competed at a host of Junior Grand Slams without lifting silverware, instead reserving that privilege for one of the biggest stages in world tennis and against one of the most formidable opponents.

“I’ve been dreaming of this moment for the longest time. For it to become a reality is crazy,” said Andreescu, whose Romanian parents Nicu and Maria emigrated to Canada in the 1990s. “I never really thought about being famous, although I’m not complaining.

“My goals have been to just win as many Grand Slams as possible and become No. 1 in the world. The idea of fame never really crossed my mind. It’s been a crazy ride this year – I can definitely get used to this feeling.”

The “crazy ride” Andreescu references follows a season which has been considerably interrupted by a shoulder injury incurred at the Miami Open in March. An attempt to compete at Roland Garros resulted in her missing the entire grass-court season.

By the time of her success in Miami, however, Andreescu had already become the first wild card entrant to triumph at Indian Wells, capping a giant-killing run by dispatching three-time Grand Slam winner Angelique Kerber in the final.

She returned from injury in time to claim victory at Toronto earlier this month as Williams was forced to retire from the final due to back spasms, while triumphing at Flushing Meadows extended her winning streak to 14 matches. In total, she has won 45 of 49 matches this season.

This blistering run has resulted in Andreescu becoming the first teenager to lift a Grand Slam singles title since Maria Sharapova in 2006, rising to No. 5 in the world rankings and banking a cheque worth more than £3m a as consequence.

It is all a far cry from the situation Andreescu found herself in 12 months ago when she lost in the first round of qualifying at the US Open and was ranked outside of the Top 200.

For Williams, her 6-3 7-5 defeat to 15th seed Andreescu saw her latest chance to equal Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles crowns ebb away. Williams, who won her first US Open before Andreescu was born, has now lost her last four Grand Slam finals.

Her frustration at her own performance was clear. Williams, who turns 38 later this month, said: “I believe I could have just been more Serena. I honestly don’t think Serena showed up. I have to figure out how to get her to show up in Grand Slam finals.

“It is inexcusable for me to play at that level. I’m not necessarily chasing a record. I’m just trying to win Grand Slams. It is super frustrating. I’m so close, yet so far away.”

Earlier on Saturday, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jamie Murray defended their US Open mixed doubles title with a 6-2 6-3 victory over Hao-Ching Chan and Michael Venus. Murray has now won three consecutive mixed doubles titles in New York, having also triumphed with Martina Hingis in 2017.

On Friday, Colombian duo Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah backed up their top-seed status in the men’s doubles, the Wimbledon champions sealing back-to-back Grand Slam titles with victory over Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 6-4 7-5.