The sterling silver trophy that Emma Raducanu hoisted as 2021 US Open champion in New York last week was designed and crafted by Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany & Co. first designed this trophy in 1987 and has handcrafted it ever since. The US Open Singles Championship Trophy is awarded annually by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to the singles champion.
Crafted from sterling silver, the design is classic and elegant. The trophy weighs 10 pounds and stands 18 inches in height.
The trophy is handcrafted each year at the Tiffany hollowware workshop in Cumberland, Rhode Island. Artisans employ age-old techniques such as spinning, silversmithing, hand engraving, and polishing to create the trophy in approximately four and a half months for a total of 66 hours of labor.
In addition to the Singles Championship Trophy, Tiffany also creates the
Doubles Championship Bowl.
Tiffany & Co. creates trophies for many of the world’s greatest sporting events. Inspired by the transcendent form and energy of competition, these revered symbols of athletic achievement are a lasting tribute to the athletes’ dedication and the highest standards of excellence.
This year, the beautiful trophy ended up in the hands of 18-year-old Emma Raducanu, the first qualifier in tennis history to win a grand slam singles final. The British teen first caught the world’s attention when she made it to the fourth round of this year’s Wimbledon Championships in her tournament debut. In the US Open, she never lost a set on the way to the finals. She defeated 19-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez in a fiercely fought championship match.
Raducanu became the first British woman to bag a major singles championship since Virginia Wade, who won the US Open in 1968 and Wimbledon in 1977.
In a most touching sight as Raducanu lifted her Tiffany trophy, Wade was in the audience cheering and applauding the teen champion, the future generation of the sport.
Credit: Video sent to TheDiarist.ph by Tiffany & Co.
