Emma Raducanu is the next great hope of British tennis, with a remarkable rise to prominence enjoyed across a matter of months
Few armchair supporters will have known much about her prior to a swashbuckling burst onto the scene at Wimbledon during the summer of 2021.
She is now a Grand Slam winner and current holder of the coveted BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. You would now have to be living under a rock not to know who she is and to understand why there is so much buzz being generated around her.
A first-round outing at the 2022 Australian Open further showcased what Raducanu is all about, with drama seemingly never far from her side. After racing through a first set against Sloane Stephens in 17 minutes, the second was dropped and there were nervy moments in the third.
However, progress was secured against a fellow surprise winner of a US Open crown and the roadshow marches on. Those betting on tennis at Betfair are continuing to favor market leaders such as Ashleigh Barty and Naomi Osaka, who are priced at 3.1 and 6.5 respectively to win outright at the Australian Open, but recent history dictates that anything is possible.
😁 @EmmaRaducanu is a whole vibe#AusOpen • #AO2022• #AOTennis pic.twitter.com/KXJniubDhT
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2022
Can Emma Raducanu Go From Strength To Strength In 2022?
Fate did play a strong hand in helping Raducanu to a stunning major triumph in New York, with established seeds tumbling all around her as tennis tips became nigh on impossible, and a path to a barely-believable final appearance opened up. Having been handed what could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, she made sure to grab it with both hands. The challenge now is to prove that she’s not simply a one-hit-wonder on the tennis charts.
Excitement
Whatever Raducanu achieves from this point, it promises to be quite the ride for those being carried along with her. As mentioned, life for a 21st-century sporting prodigy is rarely dull.
An aforementioned outing on the green grass of Wimbledon delivered a memorable run to the fourth round, with a new home-grown queen of Center Court crowned. However, there was to be no fairytale ending, but there were uncomfortable questions asked.
These were answered in style during a trip to the Big Apple, with detractors forced to eat humble pie by the bucket load. A new legion of supporters was won over, with her status as a role model to millions across the globe earned in the blink of an eye.
We are taking her HOMEEE❤️🇬🇧🏆 pic.twitter.com/L6P52UFpAm
— Emma Raducanu (@EmmaRaducanu) September 12, 2021
Having been very all or nothing up until this point, Raducanu will hope that trend can start to be bucked sooner rather than later. The competitive nature of the women’s game will make that task tough, with there being serious depth to a glittering talent pool, but cream still has a tendency of rising to the top and staying there.
Raducanu has every right to believe she can form part of the elite for years to come, with more trophies and medals collected along the way. If her early exploits are anything to go by, though, then it is going to be quite the rollercoaster ride. So, strap yourselves in and be prepared to scream if you want to go faster.
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