Top
Emma Raducanu Wimbledon
Tennis News, Wimbledon, WTA Tennis Players

Five things to know about Emma Raducanu


World No. 338 Emma Raducanu has stunned the tennis world at Wimbledon 2021 by reaching the fourth round as a wildcard on her senior debut.

The 18-year-old Brit has made it to the second week without dropping a set after beating world No. 45 Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 7-5 in the third round on Saturday.

Tennishead looks at five things you should know about the young star.

1) Background

Radacanu was born in Toronto, Canada to a Romanian father and a Chinese mother. Her family moved to England when she was two years old – and she grew up in London, where she lives now.

She started playing tennis at the age of five at the Bromley Tennis Academy in Bromley, south east London.

2) Tennis idols

The 18-year-old has two tennis idols – Simona Halep and Li Na – who are both Grand Slam champions from the countries here parents are from. Romania’s Halep, the current world No. 3, and China’s Li, who retired in 2014 – have each won two major singles titles.

“I want to be athletic like Halep. I feel like I’ve got quite a good base right now but a lot to improve on, and also Li Na – I’m a massive fan of her game,” Raducanu told the LTA last year.

“She’s got such powerful strokes. She went for everything and also she was very athletic in a more aggressive way. I loved her mentality, she never complained. That’s something I aspire to be like.”

3) Connection with Andy Murray

Raducanu is coached by Nigel Sears – father-in-law of three-time Grand Slam champion and British legend Andy Murray.

Sears started working with Raducanu when she was 15, and has previously coached top WTA players: Ana Ivanovic, Daniela Hantuchova, Amanda Coetzer and Anett Kontaveit.

4) British record breaker

By reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon at 18 years and 239 days old, Raducanu became the youngest British woman to make the last 16 of the event in the Open Era.

She is also just the fourth British teenager to make the second week since Open Tennis began, after Deborah Jevans, Glynis Coles and Laura Robson.

(stats by WTATennis.com)

5) She made her WTA debut last month

Raducanu had played just one WTA main draw match before Wimbledon – as a wildcard in Nottingham last month. She was beaten 6-3, 6-4 by fellow Brit Harriet Dart in the first round.

She lost in Wimbledon qualifying in 2019, and has played the juniors event three times – including in 2018, when eventual winner Iga Swiatek beat her in the quarter-finals.


By
1

Tim Farthing, Tennishead Editorial Director & Owner, has been a huge tennis fan his whole life. He's a tennis journalist and entrepreneur as well as playing tennis to a national standard. He also helps manage his local club and volunteers for his local tennis organisation. He's a specialist in content about the administration of professional tennis and tennis coaching for all levels.