Wimbledon: Emma Raducanu makes joke about attending Freshers Week

Emma Raducanu brushed off any injury concerns she had ahead of Wimbledon by winning her opening match against Alison Van Uytvanck.

The British number one enjoyed a 6-4, 6-4 victory over the Belgian, despite the fact she had failed to complete a single grass court match in the lead up to the Grand Slam.

Raducanu marked her Centre Court debut in true style, despite a recent thigh injury which threatened her ability to compete.

While the match was a tight one, the 19-year-old was able to counter Van Uytvanck’s attempts and secure her first straight set win since the Madrid Open in April.

Spurred on by a lively home crowd, Raducanu thanked the fans for their support and said she is looking forward to playing in front of them again in the second round.

“I really felt like today I made that court my own and really took it in,” she told reporters after her win.

“I’ve been feeling it [crowd support] ever since I stepped on to the practice courts, people behind me going, ‘Emma, you’ve got this’. And I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’ve got this’.

“I’m just so happy to stay another day.”

Raducanu then seemingly joked about enjoying a “gap year” which went “very well.”

She continued: “I’m waiting for Freshers’ Week in September. I’m still very new to it.”

This is the teenager’s first full season on the WTA Tour. Last year, she made her debut at the Nottingham Open before going on an impressive Wimbledon run.

Unfortunately, she was forced to withdraw from the competition due to breathing difficulties, so will likely feel that she has unfinished business at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

Raducanu passed her A Levels mere months before she made history at the US Open. Ranked 150th in the world at the time, the Brit became the first qualifier to