Emma will be queen of court for years to come
EMMA RADUCANU has already ended Britain’s spell in the tennis doldrums.
Just as the nation’s racket-wielding fans were getting used to Sir Andy Murray no longer competing for the sport’s biggest prizes, along comes this extraordinary female teenage talent – out of nowhere – to completely change the landscape.
Victory or defeat in New York last night made no difference. British tennis has a new, genuine world-class talent. Raducanu, 18, gave us more than a glimpse of what might be further down the road with her wonderful Wimbledon run.
Maybe the inevitable post-Murray drought would not last quite as long as first feared.
Give it some time and we might have a true WTA superstar competing at the top for years to come. Certainly, nobody of sane mind thought that could possibly happen within 60 days of her SW19 heroics, which had ended abruptly in the fourth round with injury and breathing issues, leaving the girl with the brightest of smiles in tears.
Some clueless observers immediately condemned her defeat, as seems the norm now when issues arise, as ‘snowflake-like.’
Well, those snipers have now been dismissed amid a blur of sizzling, sensational wins at the US Open.
Raducanu not only silenced the doubters by not dropping a set en route to the final at Flushing Meadows.
She not only made them eat those cruel social media posts by becoming the first qualifier – man or woman – to reach a Grand Slam final.
Nope. She positively slammed them
‘The way she is playing now is down to years of hard work and relentless determination’
all right back down the critics’ big-mouth throats.
The outcome of last night’s showdown in New York against Canada’s Leylah Fernandez – 19 and another amazingly fast-rising tennis teen – made no difference.
According to those in the know, Raducanu is the real deal.
Take Anne Keothavong’s first memory of her. Keothavong had just finished her own playing career when she first hit with Raducanu aged 11.
“I was completing my coaching levels and got to use Emma as my guinea pig to go through my drills. I had to play flat-out against her even at that age,” said Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup captain.
“That’s how good she was then. She’s such a fantastic player and a fantastic
person.” Between Wimbledon and her unprecedented ninematch Big Apple blitz from qualifier to finalist, Raducanu secured A grades in Maths and Economics A-levels.
Brainy off the court, as well as on it.
No wonder Toronto-born Raducanu, whose parents moved to England when she was two, dismantles higherranked rivals with such mesmerising speed and simplicity.
Her lethal groundstrokes off both wings, her graceful, lightning pace across the court, her powerful serve and exquisite touch at the net are all combined with this steely, match-play sharpness up top.
Jo Durie, US Open semifinalist in 1983, believes the brief break to concentrate on those academic studies was perfect as it gave Raducanu a rest from the spotlight. “I think that has probably helped
Emma – to step away for a bit and do something else,” said the former British
No.1.
“The way she is playing now is down to those years and years of hard work and relentless determination to improve.
“It’s fantastic to see. Just amazing.”
Fasten the seat belts, folks.
The transition at the top of British tennis from Murray to Raducanu is as swift as it is seamless.