Whole new ball game for champ Emma
SHE RUBS SHOULDERS WITH A-LISTERS AT EXCLUSIVE NYC EVENT
US Open champion Emma Raducanu rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names in fashion and the celebrity world after scoring an invite to the Met Gala.
The 18-year-old won her first major tournament on Saturday and 48 hours later found herself on a carpet with A-list stars at one of the year’s most exclusive events.
In a sign of her new-found superstardom, Raducanu joined the likes of Kim Kardashian West, Jennifer Lopez and Billie Eilish at the Met Gala, the annual soiree raising funds for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.
She wore a black-and-white Chanel ensemble at the event in New York City, nine miles from Flushing Meadows, where she won the US Open.
Raducanu, who was sitting her A Levels little more than three months ago, also had pearl body jewellery to complement her outfit.
The Met Gala invitation was just the latest piece of recognition for the teenager’s stunning on-court success. She said she would frame the letter of congratulations sent to her from the Queen following her US Open triumph, sealed with her victory in the final over another teen, Canadian Leylah Fernandez.
The personal message to Raducanu from the Queen, which was posted on the Royal Family website, read: “It is a remarkable achievement at such a young age, and is testament to your hard work.”
WHAT a difference winning one tennis match has made to British player Emma Raducanu.
Just 48 hours after winning the US Open in New York, the 18-year-old from Kent found herself on a carpet with A-list stars at one of the year’s most exclusive events.
In a sign of her new-found superstardom, the US Open champion rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names in fashion and the celebrity world after scoring an invite to the Met Gala.
The British teenager, who was yesterday congratulated by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on her “fantastic victory”, joined the likes of Kim Kardashian West, Jennifer Lopez and Billie Eilish at the annual soiree, which raises funds for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.
She wore a black-and-white Chanel ensemble at the event in New York City, nine miles from Flushing Meadows, where she won the US Open.
Raducanu, who was sitting her A-levels little more than three months ago, also had pearl body jewellery to complement her outfit.
The Met Gala invitation came after the teenager took New York by storm by not dropping a set en route to victory over another teen, Canadian Leylah Fernandez.
Emma also became the first qualifier in history to claim a grand slam crown.
Britain’s Andy Murray hailed Raducanu’s US Open win as“incredible” and has spoken of a “huge opportunity” for British tennis.
Murray was asked about the 18-year-old at a press conference after his Rennes Open first-round victory over Yannick Maden.
The three-time grand slam winner said: “It was incredible what she did there. I think for a lot of the people involved in British tennis, we knew she was extremely good.
“She hadn’t competed much for the last sort of 18 months or so with school and coronavirus and those sorts of things, but I think at Wimbledon (where Raducanu reached the fourth round before having to withdraw due to breathing difficulties) everyone sort of got a bit of a glimpse of how good she could be.
“I’ve spent a little bit of time around her on the practice court, but more so in the same building, training close to each other, and watching what she’s doing, and she’s obviously really, really good.
“But what she did in New York was very special, a huge boost for British tennis and gives hopefully the governing bodies an opportunity to capitalise on that and get more and more kids involved in the sport. It’s great what she did and a huge opportunity for British tennis now.”
Raducanu is the first British woman to win a grand slam singles title since Virginia Wade at Wimbledon in 1977.
Dame Jessica Ennis-hill is convinced “we’ll be hearing about her for many, many years” after watching Raducanu’s meteoric rise in New York. Former heptathlete Ennis-hill, who carried the weight of a nation when delivering gold for Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics, has been hugely impressed at how Raducanu has bounced back from her disappointing ending at Wimbledon.
She told BBC Breakfast: “For her to come back at the age that she is and to be so resilient and put all those comments to bed and trust in her ability and know what she can achieve… she just went out there and performed and delivered.
“It was so inspiring and she seems like an amazing young woman with a fantastic future ahead of her.
“I hope she has this moment to just absorb what she has achieved and really celebrate it and then I’ve no doubt she’ll re-focus and we’ll be hearing about her for many, many years.”
The Lawn Tennis Association is hoping to capitalise on Raducanu’s soaring popularity to generate more Government funding to refurbish crumbling public park courts.
LTA chief executive Scott Lloyd told the BBC that 40 per cent of park courts are “in poor or unplayable condition”.
“Our vision for the LTA is to open up tennis and to do that we need to ensure that the public facilities available for anyone to play on are there,” Lloyd said. “We have invested £8.5million into local authorities to start the journey of putting them back into long-term sustainable use. “But we’re also very keen to work with Government to ensure we can finish that job and we think that’s about another £15-20million worth of funding that could see 1,800 tennis courts in parks come back into use.”
Emma said she would frame a letter of congratulations sent to her by the Queen following her US Open triumph.
The personal message, which was posted on the Royal Family website, read: “I send my congratulations to you on your success in winning the United States Open Tennis Championships.
“It is a remarkable achievement at such a young age, and is testament to your hard work and dedication.
“I have no doubt your outstanding performance, and that of your opponent Leylah Fernandez, will inspire the next generation of tennis players.
She seems like an amazing young woman with a fantastic future ahead of her.
Dame Jessica Ennis-hill