Emma Raducanu: US Open champion and GB’s Billie Jean King Cup

Emma Raducanu made her name well known around the world after making history in September 2021. She became the first and youngest qualifier, especially as a British player, and won the Grand Slam title at the US Open. she started her career at age five and finally had a rise in British rankings by becoming the number one and the top-rated player with rankings that fell into the top 25 of the country. 

Achievements and honours 

Nuță Lucian/ Wikimedia | She was picked to represent GB at the age of 11 before winning her first junior IFT title at 13

She is ranked as the 18th best single player in the world. She has also won two titles at the International Tennis Federation Women’s Circuit while playing on hard surfaces. After she well deserved Grand Slam victory she switched her coach from Andrew Richardson to Angelique Kerber. She also got voted Personality of the Year 2021 by BBC Sports. 

In November 2021, Raducanu was named Sportswoman of the Year by the Sunday Times. The Guardian ranked the 2021 US Open final number 47, on their 50 best TV shows of 2021 list. Raducanu won Sportswoman of the Year and the Peter Wilson Trophy for an international newcomer in December 2021, awarded by the Sports Journalists’ Association. She was voted the 2021 WTA Newcomer of the Year by the WTA. On 19 December 2021, Raducanu was named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, becoming the first female tennis player to win the accolade since Virginia Wade won it in 1977. She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to tennis.

US Open title run 

Nuță Lucian/ Flickr | The last estimation of Raducanu’s net worth is $5.4 million

Raducanu stunned the sporting world in September last year when she became the first qualifier to lift a Grand Slam trophy by winning 10 matches en route to securing the US Open title. The 19-year-old will make her Billie Jean King Cup debut for Great Britain this weekend against the Czech Republic and Keothavong spoke about the “fantastic story”. In recognition of those achievements, Raducanu this week was awarded the Breakthrough of the Year award at the prestigious Laureus Sports Awards, which have long honoured the greatest sporting moments of the last year.

In September of last year, Raducanu shocked the tennis world when she beat Switzerland’s Leylah Fernandez in the final of the US Open to become the first tennis player to win a Grand Slam title as a qualifier and to be the first British women singles tennis player to lift a Major title in 44 years.

Nuță Lucian/ Flickr | The 18-year-old became the first British woman to win a major since Virginia Wade in 1977

Remarkably, the British starlet did it all without breaking a sweat, as she did not lose a single set throughout the tournament; it should be noted that she is the first woman to do so at Flushing Meadows since 2014 when Serena Williams lifted the trophy. From that victory, she moved to a new high career ranking of 23 and simultaneously became the new British number one. Emma Raducanu has since managed to maintain the title of British number one as well as continue to increase her ranking. with her currently the world number 11.