Emma Raducanu: Why tennis star's realistic attitude towards success is so admirable

Emma Raducanu may have lost her US Open crown, but her attitude towards defeat is remarkable.

Last year, her whole life changed after she defied all the odds to become the first qualifier in history to win a Grand Slam title.

Since then, the weight of the nation’s fans and media have loomed over her, but the calm and collected Brit refuses to let external pressure dictate how she steers her tennis career.

In a refreshingly honest interview, Raducanu admitted that while she was disappointed to be out of the US Open, she was unbothered by the thought of rebuilding her momentum.

As a result of her first round loss to Alize Cornet, the 19-year-old will lose more than 2,000 rankings points and drop to around 80th in the world.

However, it should be admired that Raducanu is actually looking forward to starting “a clean slate” and working her way back up to the top.

“I’m going to drop down the rankings, climb my way back up. The target will be off my back slightly,” she said. 

“With perspective, actually as a 19-year-old, I’ve not had a bad year. To be [in the] top 100 — if you told me that a year ago, I’d take it.”

When she was just 18 years old, Raducanu was catapulted into a level of spotlight she could have never imagined after winning the 2021 US Open.

By becoming the champion in New York, just three months after making her WTA Tour debut, the new poster girl for British tennis completely changed the landscape of the sport in her country.

Prior to her success, Britain’s last female singles champion was Virginia Wade, who claimed the US Open title back in 1975. 

Raducanu had played in just seven other WTA tournaments before she stepped out onto the court at Flushing Meadows. The new kid on the block had to win three