Every now and then the sporting world sees the birth of a genuine superstar.

Not just someone who is good enough to win competitions and trophies in their chosen discipline, but someone with the potential to redefine the way the sport is played.

With her improbable and stunning US Open victory last week, Britain’s Emma Raducanu showed she is very much one of those stars.

There are so many stunning things about her victory, it’s hard to know which ones to mention first. But the fact that she is only 18, had just finished her A levels and was playing only her second-ever Grand Slam is probably a good place to start.

Even more remarkable, however, is the fact that Raducanu didn’t automatically qualify for the tournament through her ranking, but had to go through the qualifying stages as well. So she had 10 matches to play instead of the seven that winners normally need to negotiate.

But it doesn’t stop there. Despite her tender age, despite her relative inexperience and despite the extra games, Raducanu didn’t drop a single set on her relentless march to the title.

And that is truly incredible.

Interestingly, Raducanu’s opponent in the final was 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez, who herself had had a brilliant tournament. She may have been outplayed in this particular match, but Fernandez showed that she too is going to be a force to be reckoned with over the next decade.

It wouldn’t be at all surprising if these two girls – despite being great friends off the court – went on to develop a brilliant and enthralling rivalry over the coming years

In fact, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if these two girls – despite being great friends off the court – went on to develop a brilliant and enthralling rivalry over the coming years. Although they obviously aren’t related, it has a similar feel to when the Williams sisters burst on to the scene.

There are, of course, many other top tennis players around and they will no doubt have a major say in how the future unfolds.

But there is something special about the two young women who battled it out last Saturday week that suggests they will be at the very top for a very long time.

In fact, I would go as far as to say we didn’t just see one star born on that Saturday, but two.

I ain’t no Man United fan

I think I need to put the record straight regarding Cristiano Ronaldo.

A couple of weeks ago I expressed my heartfelt opinion that he is a cracking signing for Manchester United. He is absolutely not the sort of player who is looking for a final payday before hanging up his boots.

He returned to Old Trafford to try and turn a good team into a great team and win himself a few more medals and trophies before the dust settles on an incredible football career.

So far, his first couple of weeks back in England have shown much of that to be accurate – with three goals in his first two games, and displays that show he is most certainly not past his best.

However, judging by some of the messages I have received, there seems to be some misconception that my positive comments in some way indicate I am supporting Manchester United because of Ronaldo’s arrival. Like I have somehow seen the light, realised the errors of my ways and am now a born-again Red Devil.

Nope. Nada. Not in the slightest. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, I am already getting rather irritated with United fans gushing about Ronaldo and saying they are now the complete team, perfect in every way.

Complete teams don’t react to having a man sent off in a game they are dominating by going all defensive and eventually losing to a side like Young Boys. Manchester City, who are in my opinion the closest thing to a complete team that currently exists, would take a red card in their stride, playing their natural game. And probably win.

And no, that doesn’t mean I am a reborn City fan either.

I am glad for the sake of English football in general that a world class player like Ronaldo is back in the Premier League. But that’s as far as it goes.

I want United to win the league just as much as I want City, Liverpool and Chelsea to win it.

And trust, me, that isn’t very much.

Doing the math

Harvey Elliot is already a very good footballer and has the potential to become one of the greats. Sadly his math skills don’t seem to match up to his football talents.

The Liverpool midfielder, who suffered a horrific ankle injury last week against Leeds United, got embroiled in a social media argument with a Manchester United fan who mocked his injury by saying “He’s not walking like that anymore”.

Harvey hit back by saying: “Crazy though how I have more legs than United have trophies in the past eight years.”

Sadly for Harvey, in that time United have won four trophies. I’m no maths genius either, but that would suggest that Harvey has at least five legs…

As I said, his maths isn’t as good as his football. Either that or there is something he isn’t telling us in the anatomy department.

Your say

“Good article in the Sunday Times. I completely agree with you about Gareth Southgate. Nice and proper gentleman, but not tactically astute enough to get the very best of what can be a very good England team. There currently is a nucleus of very good English players (including technically gifted ones).

“Southgate needs to be more courageous in his decisions, more cunning and more ambitious instead of the extreme caution he seems to turn to that basically stifles the full potential of the England team.” Alex Montanaro, e-mail.

james@quizando.com

twitter: @maltablade