Emma Raducanu’s rise to stardom has been the stuff of dreams. She burst onto the scene and instantly shot to fame in 2021 with a fairytale victory in the US Open. That victory saw her become the first male or female qualifier to with a Grand Slam tennis title in the world.
Success From Early Age
Her talent was there for everyone to see even at the very beginning of her journey as a tennis player. In total, between 2015 and 2019, Raducanu played in 25 junior tournaments on the ITF World Tennis Tour – six of which were junior Grand Slams.
During this period, she managed to get seven titles, and she reached the girls’ singles quarter-finals at Wimbledon and US Open in 2018. Unfortunately, she lost out on the former against Iga Swiatek, with Clara Burel beating her in the latter.
Triumphing Against The Odds
Fast forward to 2021, and Emma Raducanu was ready to enter the big stage – and she did that firing on all cylinders. She was ranked 150th in the world before the start of the competition, but she defied all odds by winning all qualifying matches to reach the main draw.
Then, she managed to win seven more matches and ultimately win the US Open against Leylah Fernandez without losing a set. By doing so, Raducanu became the first British woman to win a Grand Slam since Virginia Wade did that in 1977 at Wimbledon, as well as the youngest Grand Slam champion since Maria Sharapova triumphed at Wimbledon in 2004 at just 17 years.
With her already being the first qualifier to reach a Grand Slam final, Raducanu is also the player with the least major appearances to climb to the summit of the tennis world – which just further cements the importance of her achievement.
The Raducanu Effect Outside The Tennis Court
Understandably, big brands outside were quick to capitalise on Emma Raducanu’s success. Her purchase power became clear with the fact that her red and blue Nike set she wore during the US Open sold out very shortly after she grabbed the headlines with her performances. Some research platforms also noted a big increase in online searches for Nike – especially the company’s tennis equipment.
BBC Personality of the Year and MBA
Emma Raducanu’s remarkable US Open win saw her scoop the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. By doing so, she became the first female to get this award since Zara Phillips back in 2006. Andy Murray was also the last tennis player to get this award in 2016, so she instantly became part of an elite company.
A year later, Emma Raducanu became an MBA, an honour she was awarded by King Charles at Windsor Castle.
Injuries Hampering Her Progress
Right after her much-coveted US Open triumph, the injury nightmares began to take centre stage in Emma Raducanu’s career. During her first Australian Open, Emma Raducanu suffered with blisters on her hands. Although she didn’t withdraw from the competition, this uncomfortable injury surely played a big part in her early defeat to Danka Kovinic.
Over the course of the next few years, she suffered all sorts of injuries, which inherently stopped her from reaching her full potential. Back injuries, more blisters, abdominal injuries, wrist injuries, and glute problems overshadowed her talent.
Fans Still Consider Her Favourite For Grand Slams
Despite her struggles with injuries, Emma Raducanu still gains much attention in every major tennis tournament she is to participate. Bookies always place her among the favourites to reach finals and win, and fans seem more than happy to back the young star in her quests for wins.
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More to Come
Emma Raducanu recently admitted that she faced numerous concerns over her long-term career after she underwent surgeries on both wrists and an ankle back in 2023. At last, she now seems injury-free, and she says that she is in a very healthy and good place, so hopefully, she will manage to repeat her early career success in the upcoming Grand Slams.
Her rise to stardom has been meteoric, and even though her progress has been hampered by injuries, she surely has the potential to become a global sporting icon and a legend of the game.
