Emma Raducanu has earned herself a whole host of new fans following her historic run to the title at the US Open. Everyone from her majesty the Queen to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has come out to congratulate the Brit for becoming the first qualifier in history to lift a Grand Slam trophy. Her fellow 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev has now voiced his support for the 18-year-old too, giving his verdict on her career.
Raducanu achieved the impossible as she failed to drop a set in three qualifying matches and seven main-draw matches en route to her first ever title – the US Open.
Not only did the win make her the first qualifier, man or woman, to reach a Major final and go one better by winning it, she also became the first player in history to win the title on just her second appearance at Grand Slam level.
With all of the talk firmly centred on the Bromley teenager’s historic triumph, it means that Daniil Medvedev’s achievement of winning his own first-ever Grand Slam has flown slightly under the radar.
The world No 2 had fallen at the final hurdle twice before, coming from two-sets-down to force a fifth against Rafael Nadal in the 2019 US Open final before losing the decider, and suffering a straight-sets loss at the hands of Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final earlier this year.
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“Imagine being 18, playing in your 4th pro event, winning only a 25k before and now being @usopen champ! Incredible,” he wrote.
Both completed their media duties on Monday {September 13) with the usual TV talk show appearances, though Raducanu managed to receive a last-minute invitation to the prestigious Met Gala, along with her fellow-finallist Leylah Fernandez.
Her rise up the rankings to world No 23 coincides with her rapid rise to superstardom, with the teenager now receiving invitations to the latest James Bond movie premiere in London, while the likes of Graham Norton and Jonathan Ross fight to get her on their sofas.
Having eclipsed her career earnings of £219,282 by winning the £1.8m US Open prize money cheque, it has since been revealed that lawyers raced to trademark her name just hours after her win, as PR experts have called her a marketer’s dream.
While Raducanu has stirred up a media frenzy and is set to receive countless brand deals and sponsorship offers, the teenager remains humble and admitted that the first thing she wanted to buy with her huge amount of prize money was a pair of £160 AirPods.
She returned to her home in a Bromley cul-de-sac this morning following a seven-week stint in America that saw her start as world No 179 with a wild card into the WTA 250 tournament in San Jose, losing in the first round, before becoming a top 25 player and Grand Slam champion.
“It’s a great feeling to be back home. I’ve been away for seven weeks so it’s nice to be back,” she told reporters as she posed for pictured outside her home, according to The Telegraph.
“It’s nice to see them [her parents] again. I haven’t thought about what’s next. I’m just enjoying it and relaxing and recovering.”
