Raducanu came to New York as a rank outsider – and left a legend
SPORTING history was made in New York at the weekend. A dazzling new British star was born as Emma Raducanu stormed her way to the US title in a majestic performance that combined balletic grace with power, athleticism, determination and intelligence.
At the age of just 18, she has already attained greatness. She came to the Big Apple as a rank outsider – and left the city as a legend.
Hers was not only the first US win by a British woman for more than half a century, but also the first ever victory in a Grand Slam by a qualifier.
Incredibly, although she was up against some of the biggest names in tennis, she did not drop a single set throughout the tournament.
Yet for all her unexpected dominance, she retained her modesty, displaying guileless delight in the aftermath of her extraordinary triumph.
It could be argued that, because of her inexperience and the rich heritage of the American championship, this is the greatest individual achievement by a woman in the long saga of British sport.
It is the equivalent of nonleague Dover Athletic winning the FA Cup at Wembley after defeating a series of Premier League giants on the way.
For romance and surprise, there has never been anything to compare with her remarkable win. Even golden Olympic moments, such as Dame Kelly Holmes’ middle-distance double at Athens in 2004, or Jessica Ennis-Hill’s heptathlon in the 2012 London games, do not quite scale the same heights of wonder. Nor do any of Virginia Wade’s epic trio of Grand Slam titles between 1968 and 1977.
Her victory will give a tremendous boost to women’s sport in this country, which has been growing in influence and media attention, but needed a charismatic hero to captivate future generations. As Suzanne Williams, one of her former coaches, put it yesterday: “For girls, it’s just incredible that they’ve got this role model.”
Typically, Emma paid fulsome tribute to her support team and her parents, who could not be with her in New York because of Covid restrictions but have both played a crucial part in her development.
“My dad is tough to please but I managed today,” she said.
Yet she would have got nowhere without her own wonderful talent, technique and temperament. An astonishingly swift learner, she even used the experience of her setback at Wimbledon this summer, when she was overcome by respiratory problems, to strengthen her resilience.
Short of breath then, she took our collective breath away on Saturday night.
It has been a golden summer for British sport, where the march of Gareth Southgate’s England football team to the European final was followed by the heroic exploits of our Olympians and Paralympians.
But Emma’s triumph beats them all.
What made it resonate even more powerfully is that, in her mixed heritage, she is a very modern symbol of diverse Britain. Born in Toronto to a Chinese mother, Renee, and a Romanian father, Ian, she was just two when the family moved to Britain, where both parents now work in finance.
The outpouring of enthusiasm for this biracial Bromley teen reinforces the truth that patriotism can be a unifying, inclusive force, demolishing the claims of left-wing ideologues that national pride amounts to bigotry.
Her fairytale conquest of New York will always be an inspirational episode in our island story.
‘For romance and surprise, there has never been anything to compare with her remarkable win’