Emma Raducanu says 2021 "didnt make sense" ahead of BBC Sports Personality

12/21/2021

Emma Raducanu has revealed she is still learning to be nicer to herself at the end of a remarkable year where she went from A level student to US Open champion.

The British No.1 is the red-hot favourite to be voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year on Sunday.

The Bromley teenager shocked the sporting world by becoming the first qualifier to ever win a Grand Slam singles title. And Raducanu, who had never won a match at Tour-level before, did not even drop a set.

The word No.19 has since won only two matches in three WTA events and her preparations for 2022 have been hit after contracting Covid 19 in Abu Dhabi.

But looking back on her breakthrough 2021, Raducanu said: “This year has been a journey – I think that’s the biggest word. If you were to draw the journey, basically it would just not make sense, the trajectory and where it went.

"I’m so grateful and actually proud of myself. That is why that holiday in the Caribbean last month was so good for me because I could take a step back and really appreciate how far I have come.

“I feel like I’ve learned quite a lot of things and the biggest thing is just patience with myself and just being kind to myself because sometimes you can get so caught up in the result or what just happened and you forget how far you have come.

"Because you’re just so focused on what’s going on. So I took a step back. I look at where I started in January, February or March and then where I finished the year. Under every circumstance I would have taken that at the beginning. So I’m proud of myself for sure. And that’s the biggest lesson – to be a bit nicer.”

This high-octane journey is likely to have more turbulence next season as the teenager adapts to her new status after skipping so many development stages.

Raducanu also has to learn to balance being a role model and sponsor’s dream while adding to her limited on-court experience.

“I think that I’m still the same person,” she said. “I feel like I've come a long way in terms of developing my game but there are a lot of places I feel like it can improve. I’ve got good people around me and I’m just really excited.”

This improvement will be overseen by her latest coach – German Torben Beltz. “Torbnn is a super positive guy and he always has a lot of energy,” she said “I feel like that’s really cool to have in my team.”

Raducanu became the youngest Grand Slam champion since 17-year-old Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon in 2004.

“It is sinking in a little bit more but it is still such a whirlwind of an experience,” she said. “I loved every moment of it. But it is something that is very difficult to fully comprehend.

"When I am watching it, it almost feels like it is not me playing and pulling off some of those shots.

The F1 fan had urged fans to vote for Lewis Hamilton but she is set to become the first female SPOTY winner since Zara Phillips in 2006. Then she will fly Down Under to prepare for the Australian Open where she will again be a favourite – and a target.

“Pressure is a privilege,” she insisted.

“I think I quite like it. I thrive under the adrenaline. For me I don’t really think about other people’s opinions or expectations. The only ones I have are the ones I have myself to improve and get better.”

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