Emma Raducanu opens up on the ‘coolest thing’ from her US Open victory

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Emma Raducanu’s New York fairytale doesn’t seem to be slowing down just yet. The 18-year-old stunned the sporting world on Saturday when she became the first qualifier in history to win a Grand Slam title. The recent US Open champion appears to be in no rush to fly home to the UK just yet, as she shared an excitable snap from the Big Apple days after lifting the trophy.

Raducanu racked up a whole list of achievements by beating fellow teenager Leylah Annie Fernandez to win the US Open.

The final itself was the first between two teenagers at Flushing Meadows since 1999, when Serena Williams, then 17, beat then 18-year-old Martina Hingis to win the first of 23 Major titles.

The Bromley teen was also the first qualifier, man or woman, ever to make a Grand Slam final, let alone pick up the title, and became the first person in the Open Era to win the title in just their second appearance at Major level.

She also ended a 44-year drought for a female British Grand Slam champion, becoming the first since Virginia Wade in 1977, and the first to win the US Open since Wade lifted the trophy in 1968.

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As little as three months ago, Raducanu was ranked down at world No 338 and had just played the first tour-level tournament of her career, receiving a wildcard into the WTA 250 event in Nottingham before losing to compatriot Harriet Dart in the first round.

The US Open champion was like any other British teenager, sitting her A Level exams, and was in America when her parents called to tell her she had achieved an A* in maths and an A in economics.

She had her first taste of success when she stormed into the second week of Wimbledon as a wild card in her first-ever Grand Slam appearance, before retiring in the fourth round with breathing difficulties.

While her run on the grass courts of London was considered a dream at the time, her exploits at Flushing Meadows have completely eclipsed anything that Raducanu – or most other tennis players – have been able to do in the past.

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The 18-year-old is still riding the wave of winning the US Open without dropping a set across three qualifying matches and seven main-draw matches, and doesn’t look like she’ll be ready to leave New York any time soon.

After a fairytale weekend, the Brit took to Instagram to share that she had been doing some sightseeing in the city, and stumbled across something she “never” thought she’d see.

Raducanu saw herself lit up in the New York City lights, splashed across a billboard for all to see, in a Nike advert celebrating her US Open victory.

Taking advantage of the moment by posing for both a video and a photo in front of the huge screen, she captioned her post: “sightseeing in ny never thought I would see this… coolest thing,” adding a side-eye emoji and a starry-eyed emoji.

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A post shared by Emma Raducanu (@emmaraducanu)

Some of her fellow British tennis stars took to the comments to share their support, with Katie Boulter writing: “You lil cutie”.

Meanwhile Katie Swan and Jodie Burrage added heart-eye emojis, writing: “Scenes” and “Get used to it” in their messages to their Billie Jean King Cup teammate.

Following her title-win at the weekend, Raducanu admitted she was oblivious to the frenzy she had caused back home, and had instead remained in a ‘bubble’ in New York.

“I have absolutely no idea what’s going on outside of the little world that we’re in here. We’ve just been in the quiet room, just enjoying the moment, taking it all in,” she said.
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