Exclusive – Laura Robson on why Emma Raducanu has already changed tennis in the UK

Kevin Palmer
July 12, 2022

Former British No 1 Laura Robson believes Emma Raducanu’s US Open win unlocked new doors for tennis in the UK that will ensure her legacy endures way beyond her first Grand Slam win last year.

Raducanu stunned the tennis world as she moved through qualifying to win the US Open without dropping a set, with Robson telling us her inspirational story has left a lasting impact on youngster across the UK.

Speaking to Tennis365 at a Play Your Way To Wimbledon event that offers British youngsters a chance to follow in Raducanu’s footsteps and play on the grass courts at the All England Club, Robson suggested the world No 10 is a figure who will inspire so many youngsters to pick up a racket and try tennis for the first time.

“I did this interview with Wimbledon for a local primary school and asked the kids who was their favourite player and almost all of them said Emma,” began Robson

“It’s so cool. Just to have that inspirational figure to look up to. They all watched the US Open last year and they were looking forward to seeing her at Wimbledon and it is cool that in five years time, they will have watched Emma grow and they will be teenagers themselves by then.

“There is no doubt that Emma has had a massive impact on young people. They see what she achieved at the US Open and they want to try and tennis. That is great for our sport.”

Robson went on to back Raducanu to silence her doubters and make an even bigger impression at the top of the game, after a year that has seen her struggle to reach the heights she achieved during her win in New York.

“She is so exciting to watch,” added Robson. “She is right there with them and just needs a good run of training and competition to get her body used to playing week in, week out.

“It seems strange to talk about Emma and saying she needs to win matches as she is only in the first year of her career.

“She has already been at the highest of highs and I have no doubt she will get back to that level once she has a run of matches.

“I see her at the National Tennis Centre and she is always working so hard, so her time will come again. She is still so young and we shouldn’t worry about someone who has already won a Grand Slam title.”

Play Your Way to Wimbledon, Powered by Vodafone is the UK’s largest grassroots tennis competition and is delivered in partnership with the LTA, the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club and Vodafone

Emma Raducanu Laura Robson