There was a time when the most famous British Emma was a 19th-century fictional matchmaker, brought to you by Jane Austen.
News flash: there’s a new Emma in town.
Let’s just say it’s been quite a summer for the teenaged tennis sensation Emma Raducanu, who became a household name in Britain, where she makes her home, after advancing to Wimbledon’s Round of 16.
Being British may have helped her secure a wildcard to that tournament.
“She’s fearless, she’s confident and boy does the British crowd love her."
But the 18-year-old won fans, hearts and a whole lot of media coverage with her powerful game—which she seems to have packed up and brought stateside for the hardcourt season. At the Chicago Tennis Festival 125 in August, wildcard Raducanu took her winning ways all the way to the final, where she met 18-year-old Clara Tauson from Denmark. The teens put on a thrilling three-set match that ultimately went to the Danish player, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.
“She’s fearless, she’s confident and boy does the British crowd love her,” said Chris Evert of Raducanu, when discussing the three 18-year-old women who entered the Main Draw—including Tauson, who lost her Round 2 match to No. 1-seed Ashleigh Barty. “They have power, they have touch, and they want it badly.”
True to form, the British teenager battled her way onto the big stage by blasting through three qualifying matches—all without dropping a set. Raducanu took out her first-round opponent, Stefanie Voegele, in a similar fashion, 6-2, 6-3. Same story with her Round 2 match, played against Shuai Zhang, ranked a good 100 points higher than Raducanu—who took it from her anyway, 6-2, 6-4.
“I’ve been lucky,” she said post-match with a rueful laugh. “I am so grateful for people cheering for me. It’s really getting me through tough moments.”
That kind of graciousness is another Raducanu hallmark. And it seems to be winning her more fans than the average qualifier-turned-Round-3 player. The crowd around the court was at least three-deep for her Round 2 match. She also booked four straight press conferences after the win.
“I’m feeling more and more confident with every game,” said Raducanu at one of them.
Attention 2021 US Open Women’s draw: you have been warned.
READ MORE: How Raducanu's offense powered her into the US Open main draw
