Emma Raducanu shares advice received from Lewis Hamilton after becoming US Open champion

Emma Raducanu: British teen wins US Open

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Emma Raducanu has opened up on her friendship with Lewis Hamilton, after admitting she wanted to see the seven-time champion be crowned BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year instead of herself. The world No 19 said she had received advice from Hamilton following her rapid rise to superstardom when she became the US Open champion.

Raducanu admitted she was rooting for Hamilton to be named SPOTY when asked if she had a speech prepared during her on-court interview at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday.

The Bromley local played her first match on home soil since becoming the US Open champion, beating friend and previous practice partner Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3 7-6(3) in a light-hearted exhibition at the Champions Tennis tournament.

Following the match, she was asked whether she had prepared a victory speech in case she was crowned this year’s SPOTY, but said: “No definitely not. I am rooting for Lewis in the race. He’s been such a good role model for me in terms of helping me out and through these next stages. He’s a really cool person.”

The 19-year-old has previously made no secret of her love of Formula 1, and is a big fan of the seven-time champion.

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She later opened up on the advice Hamilton had given her, after the pair struck up a friendship and managed to meet at the prestigious Met Gala.

The US Open champion said: “He’s just been really cool in helping me.

“He said, like, be patient. You know, you just got to ride the wave, it’s all good, like, don’t worry. Good reassurance.

“So yeah, he’s a really cool, cool guy.”

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Raducanu admitted she didn’t frequently message the F1 driver, but enjoyed their occasional meetings and saw him as a role model.

“I met him in person at the Met Gala and we had a really good conversation there and, and since then, I’ve just been looking up to him, following him and supporting him,” she added.

“It’s just whenever we meet it’s really cool.”

The world No 19 is now gearing up for her first full season on the pro tennis tour, after enlisting Torben Beltz as her new full-time coach.

Having started her pre-season on Tuesday (November 23), Raducanu said she had been doing four hours of fitness each day, and would begin working on her game under the guidance of the experienced German next week.

Speaking on her early days of pre-season training, the British teenage sensation said: “I feel like I start the day on a high and then by the fourth hour I’m like, I’m really feeling it.”

While she was looking to work on her tennis, Raducanu also thought the real improvements would come during the 2022 season.

“The off season is quite short and realistically I’m not sure how much I can I can improve in four weeks.

“But I feel like playing a full schedule next year I’ll improve that way as well because just playing matches and getting matched fitness I think that’s the only real way that it kind of happens.”

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