‘A good result would’ve been qualifying’ – Emma Raducanu’s fairtyale in New York

It was not until Iain Bates was walking his daughter to school that he fully appreciated the magnitude of Emma Raducanu’s US Open triumph.

As the head of the women’s game at the Lawn Tennis Association, Bates is an important figure in British tennis but in no way a household name.

When he had headed out to New York to support the British women playing in the year’s final grand slam, he had not expected to serve as hitting partner on tennis’ biggest stage nor be part of a four-man support team who ended up cheering on the champion.

“I don’t think I had any understanding in New York of just how big the story was at home, because you’re doing your job,” said Bates, who sat in Raducanu’s box with coach Andrew Richardson, physio Will Herbert and agent Chris Helliar.

“I remember I was walking my daughter to school the morning after I was back and a dad crossed the road and said, ‘Well done on your work with Emma’. It was like, ‘Oh hang on’. I’d been walking to the school every day for the last five years and nobody had known what I did.”

Raducanu had gone from a standout talent nurtured by the likes of Bates to an overnight sensation thanks to her run to the Wimbledon fourth round, but what eventually transpired would have been deemed impossible when she took her place at Flushing Meadows for the qualifying competition.

“A good result would have been probably qualifying,” Bates told the PA news agency. “That would have backed up her run at Wimbledon.”

I think the real first point where it was, 'OK this is actually really, really special', was when she beat Bencic.- Iain Bates on Emma Raducanu's US Open run

Raducanu won all three qualifying matches in straight sets – her second-round win over Mariam Bolkvadze would prove her