Emma Raducanu on ‘cutting herself some slack’ and being starstruck by the Duchess of Cambridge

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Kate Middleton and Emma Raducanu

Emma Raducanu has revealed her goals for the future and one of them is to “enjoy” the fruits of her labour while she has also opened up about being in awe of the Duchess of Cambridge.

The teenager enjoyed a meteoric rise last year as she reached the fourth round of Wimbledon on her main draw debut and then a few months later she went all the way from qualifying to champion at the US Open – becoming the first qualifier (man or woman) to win a Grand Slam in the process.

Raducanu surged into the top 20 of the WTA Rankings on the back of those results, but she has struggled to put together a decent run of form this year as she is yet to win more than two matches in a row. She exited the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon in the second round and has also battled with injury and illness.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Evening Standard’s ES Magazine, Raducanu was asked about her future plans and replied: “My goal would be towards consistency.

“But equally, I’m going to try and cut myself some slack. I’m young and I have achieved something great. I think I should step back and enjoy it.”

Following her win at Flushing Meadows last year, Raducanu was naturally the talk of the town and she played tennis with the Duchess of Cambridge during a homecoming celebration while also received a letter from the Queen shortly after lifting the trophy in New York.

“I’ve met some really cool people, but when I met the duchess I was definitely [starstruck],” the 19-year-old revealed.

“I could stare at her all day. Just watch her talk, watch her do everything. And also the Queen. I got a letter from her. That was a pretty starstruck moment.”

So what motivates the 19-year-old?

“Even in primary school, we had a sprint race on sports day and for seven years straight, I won it. I’m undefeated!” she joked. “I really like to win. I love the fight. When things get tough, keep getting yourself back up. Keep persevering.

“Each time you do, it teaches you a lesson and you accumulate experience. Then you can grow a big bank of knowledge that you can tap into.”

Emma Raducanu

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