Emma Raducanu reached the quarter-finals of her first Grand Slam overseas
US Open 2021 Venue Flushing Meadows New York Date: 30-08-12 September Coverage
"It's right to be excited, not only about the future but also about Emma Raducanu's work right now."
Raducanu, a teenager, took a moment to take in the surroundings as she walked to the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.
She didn't seem overawed or nervous. After a few deep breaths and a moment to look through her bag, she then jogged out to serve.
A little over an hour later, Naomi Broady, a British player, was standing to ovation as she beat Shelby Rogers, her home favorite, to reach her maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal.
She is only 18 years old.
Raducanu said that he was astonished to see his name and face on the boards behind the court.
"I could still hear my name being called while playing an American at her home Slam. I was extremely grateful for all the support I received.
Broady knows Raducanu well and Raducanu's success comes as no surprise to him.
"Emma, I was hoping to play some doubles with you over the grass-court seasons and I said that to her, if ever you have any questions, please ask them," she said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
"She wanted to play mixed doubles with women's singles and doubles at Wimbledon. She didn't know if or not she would get one of the wildcards, as this was before they were announced.
Her thoughts were, "Hold on, my thoughts were: if I'm doing well in singles, and I'm already into the second week of the second week, then I might be too tired with mixed doubles.
"It only shows her foresight that she believed she could make it to the second week, even though she didn't know the wildcard or draw."
She is already so smart. She is already so wise.
Raducanu isn't the only one who has won in New York. She has won in an emphatic fashion.
She has never lost a set in her seven matches, from qualifying to the quarterfinals. She has lost 15 games, the lowest total since Serena Williams' 2013 match.
She has been the focus of most attention for her calm demeanour. She didn't seem overawed by Ashe or when she was 2-0 down in the first. She reset and kept trying for her shots until she won the opener.
Her parents were born in Canada. She moved to London with her family when she was 2 years old. She began playing tennis three more years later.
She became a professional tennis player in 2018 and was praised by those who know British tennis. Anne Keothavong called her up to the Fed Cup team for 2020.
She was initially granted a wildcard to Wimbledon qualifying, but she was later upgraded after winning the final of the Nottingham ITF tournament in the weeks prior.
She received her A-level results, an A* in Maths, and an A in Economics just a few weeks after her Wimbledon win. Before she traveled to the USA with Andrew Richardson as her coach.
She wanted to take advantage of the Wimbledon experience and decided to play as many matches as possible. After a first round loss in California's WTA event, she was able to reach the quarterfinals in Pennsylvania's ITF tournament.
She was back in Chicago a week later for the Challenger event. There she reached the final where she lost in three sets to Clara Tauson, world number 77.
She had played many matches before arriving in New York and was familiar with the heat and humidity at Flushing Meadows.
She raced through qualifying, and she is now the third Open qualifier to reach the US Open final eight.
It definitely feels surreal. Raducanu stated, "I didn't know I would be here at all."
"I feel confident in my game, and with each one of them I am learning and growing."
After her US Open win, Emma Raducanu will be in the top 100.
Raducanu is a great tennis player, and it's hard not to be excited about what she has accomplished so far.
She is a combination of punchy shot-making, as she demonstrated with her win over Sara Sorribes Tormo, and the ability to spot weaknesses in opponents and adapt her strategies accordingly.
She is described as "a breath of fresh water" - easy going in front of cameras, but with a strong sense for determination on court. Importantly, she is fun to watch.
Broady stated, "It wouldn’t surprise me that she becomes British number 1 by this time next year even by the grass-court seasons."
"Her level of performance has soared since she was in the US."
Raducanu is one of a number of teens who has made it in New York. Canada's Leylah Farandez, 19 years old, defeated Naomi Osaka, the defending champion, in the third round. She was then defeated by Angelique Kerber, a three-time Grand Slam champion.
Carlos Alcaraz, 18, stunned third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas by winning round three of the men's draw. He won another five-setter on Sunday to reach the quarters.
