Emma Raducanu Is On A Roll In Romania After Winning Again!
Locker Room
October 28, 2021
Emma Raducanu is back winning where it matters most – on a tennis court.
Our sport’s new superstar has achieved worldwide fame after winning the US Open.
And she could have been forgiven if her head was still spinning after all the glamorous attention.
She is the new darling of British tennis and beyond.
Tickets for Wimbledon 2022 are already in high demand because everyone wants to see Emma Raducanu.
She’ll be nineteen in a few weeks and that means she will still be a teenager for the biggest Grand Slam of them all next summer.
Raducanu has already transcended the sport and could eventually become the first tennis billionaire.
But Emma’s feet are very much back on the ground after the so-called Fairytale of New York.
And she just won her second WTA tour match in succession in Romania.
Raducanu clearly wanted victory very much indeed against Ana Bogdan in the Transylvanian Open.
Her intensity and fighting spirit shone through in her 6-3, 6-4 victory in 90 minutes.
Next up is the 19-year-old Ukranian, Marta Kostyuk in the quarter-finals.
If Emma wins that one, she could face her hero and former Wimbledon champion, Simona Halep.
What a battle that would be!
Raducanu is becoming a formidable tennis warrior. She yelled loudly when she prevailed in key moments against Bogdan – and there were plenty.
The 28-year-old presented Emma with some tough challenges. Not least when the more experienced woman enjoyed three break points in Raducanu’s very first service game.
But the super-Brit rose to all those challenges. And when she edged an epic seventh game in the second set for the key break, you sensed she was nearly over the line.
Bogdan had staged a mini-comeback to take the lead before Raducanu showed she was not to be denied.
That was the mental toughness and sheer desire we wanted to see once more.
Those are the qualities that will help Emma Raducanu go far at Wimbledon 2022.
It wasn’t a perfect performance. There were occasional double faults and mishits. But when she needed to flow with confidence under pressure, Raducanu did just that.
Tri-lingual Emma began her post-match interview in Romanian and then switched to English. She said: ‘It was so good to play a Romanian and I just loved playing with some noise again, against Ana, who is a great opponent.’
Bogdan saw weaknesses in the Raducanu game and exploited them sometimes. That will only make the teenager a better player in the long run.
Raducanu won 87 per cent of points behind her first serve but will want to improve upon her 33 per cent success rate behind her second serve.
‘It’s taking me some time to find my feet still,’ she admitted as she continues to adapt to her new superstar status.
At least Emma is well aware that her tennis is still a work in progress – despite being a Grand Slam champion.
‘I don’t think I’m the finished product and I’m still learning from every match,’ she emphasised.
Interviewers still want to know about celebrity issues. She was asked about the James Bond Premier she attended, and how attractive Daniel Craig is, for example.
‘He is a very cool guy but we weren’t close at the event,’ she pointed out safely.
Then she was asked directly about her stunning dress that night. ‘I was so honoured to wear a Dior gown and attend my first premier in it,’ she admitted.
No point in missing an open goal to promote a valued commercial partner, after all! But it was the way Emma steered the interview back to tennis that was so reassuring.
‘The court is where I really focus on my trade and improve,’ she underlined quickly.
Emma isn’t arrogant. Instead she has remained grounded. Tennis is what matters to her. Without tennis excellence there will be no fame or riches anyway.
And Raducanu has already left an important legacy for younger players to understand the true value of her achievement.
That much is clear from her decision to leave the US Open trophy with the people who helped her to such heights in the first place.
Raducanu explained: ‘It’s stored in the National Tennis Centre in London. I just thought the LTA had done so much for me, helping me through the young ages. So it’s a little gift.’
Maybe not so little! Youngsters will be able to view that trophy and dream truly inspirational dreams, thanks to Emma Raducanu.
And the great thing is, Emma’s journey has only just begun!
We saw her reach the second week of Wimbledon this year and a star was born.
What can Emma Raducanu achieve at Wimbledon 2022?
The answer is whatever she wants, with the right amount of hard work. This extraordinary young lady has the world at her feet. She has the hunger to match her talent, too.
Want to be there to watch this magical young lady perform at Wimbledon 2022?
We can help with that.
Click here to secure your tickets to next year’s Championships.