“My dad is very tough to please, but I managed it today” Emma Raducanu during her Champions press conference at the US Open 2021
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Emma Raducanu
Emma Raducanu has become one of the most popular names of the past fortnight after the teenager gave the sporting world one of the biggest underdog stories as she went on to win the US Open 2021.
Emma who is playing in just her 2nd Grand Slam tournament started as a qualifier being ranked World No. 150 in the rankings before the start of the tournament. The US Open becomes her first-ever WTA title as she is yet to play even 5 tournaments on the WTA Tour and has not yet won her first WTA Tour match.
Emma Raducanu talks about the finals and her emotions after the match
Up against 19-year old Canadian Leylah Fernandez in what was the first all-teenage final at the US Open since 1999.
“From the very beginning, I knew it was going to be an extremely difficult match because Leylah has played some unbelievable tennis taking out a lot of the Top-10 this week so I knew I had to bring my best game and was trying to focus as much as possible on one point at a time and there were some great battles. I’m just really proud of how I managed to stick in and come through in the end.
“It’s an absolute dream. You have visions of yourself you know, going up to the box, hugging everyone, celebrating, that’s something you always think of and you always work for. For that moment to actually happen, I’m just grateful for my team, those are here with me and the team that are back home, the LTA and every single person who supported me in the journey,” said Emma.
“I was coming fresh from my exams” Emma talks about her journey from the Wimbledon to the US Open
Life has changed drastically for Emma in the past few months. Having received a wildcard for the 2021 Wimbledon Championships where she started outside the Top-300 ranks, she broke into the Top-200 after her 4th round run where she became the youngest British woman to make it to the Round of 16.
“I wouldn’t have believed that. At the beginning of the Grass courts, I was coming fresh from my exams and had just 3 weeks of practice before my first tournament. I just built up every single match and every single win, I thought the Wimbledon was such an incredible experience. Fourth round, the second week, I couldn’t believe it.
“I thought what a great achievement but I was still hungry, I was working hard after the grass, I didn’t have much time off and then straight back out here in States. To pull some off the shots that I did in the big moments when I really needed it, it was just an accumulation of everything I’ve learned in the past 5 weeks,” said Emma answering if she believed she would be a Grand Slam champion this season.
Emma talks about handling the new fame
Emma is set to become one of the highest-paid British woman athletes because of her success in New York and her title not only has brought great joy to the country, she has been getting appreciation from tennis legends and other dignitaries as well including the Queen of England who personally wrote a message congratulating the youngster for her success.
“I still haven’t checked my phone. I absolutely have no idea what’s going on outside of the little world we have here. We’ve just been in the quiet room, enjoying the moment, taking it all in. Today we just need to shut out from everything and just enjoy as a team.
“I speak to my parents. We don’t really talk about tennis. They just really want to know how I am in these moments. They are proud. My dad said to me, you’re even better than your dad thought. That was some reassurance. My dad’s definitely very tough to please but I managed to do it today,” said Emma.
Emma is set to break into the Top-30 of the WTA rankings, a massive jump from her ranking of World No. 150 when she started the tournament. With a title as big as Grand Slam so early in her career, Emma’s progress over the years will be watched closely with more success wished for her.
Also Read: List of records broken by Emma Raducanu after winning the US Open 2021
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Sarthak Shitole
(3462 Articles Published)