Nearly three years after her unforgettable US Open victory, Emma Raducanu has still not managed to launch her career. Between injuries and the search for her best level, the British player has just woken up on grass, and will want to leave her mark at Wimbledon in front of a crowd waiting to see her shine.
The 2021 US Open is often talked about, but the real birth certificate for Emma Raducanu took place two months before, at Wimbledon. Invited by the organizers, she made good on her wildcard, going through three rounds, notably knocking out the one who would win the 2023 edition, Marketa Vondrousovabefore giving up in the 8th final against Ajla Tomljanovic following respiratory problems.
Remarkably, she was only the fourth British player to reach the second week of a grass-court Grand Slam in the last thirty years. It goes to show how quickly the public took to a player who was then outside the Top 150, who was then 18 years old, and who therefore represented the future of a moribund English women’s tennis outside Johanna Kontaformer world number 4, often placed, but rarely winning (three semi-finals lost in Grand Slam).
Two months later, she accomplished a unique feat by becoming the first man or woman to win a Grand Slam tournament after qualifying. Even her encouraging and surprising performance at Wimbledon could not prepare her for this incredible performance, which paved the way for confidence for the qualifiers (Dayana Yastremska reached the semi-finals of the last Australian Open for example).
But let’s get back to Raducanu, logically propelled at the time new star of the women’s circuit in search of idols. The world number 1 at the time Ashleigh Bartyalthough superior, was not a saleswoman, Serena Williams was on the end, Naomi Osaka lacked consistency, the performance of the British was a godsend for the WTA. And for Raducano herself, who signed a number of advertising partnerships and exploited her new media power to the maximum, forgetting the essential, what had brought her there: tennis.
For almost three years, we were only treated to a few flashes, a few interesting matches suggesting that, a few high-level sets, a few promises. But nothing to confirm them, with in addition a fragile physique that earned him to end his 2023 season in April to have wrist surgery among other things.
Until a few days ago, in Eastbourne. Of course, she had reached the semi-finals in Nottingham beforehand, but by beating two players outside the Top 100 and benefiting from a forfeit. For the traditional last preparation tournament before Wimbledon, she reached the quarter-finals of this WTA 500 by falling to no less than the world number 5, Jessica Pegula.
Beating one of the world’s best players – let’s brush aside the “non-grass court specialist” argument, the American having reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon last year – is finally the encouraging sign that everyone was waiting for. Because winning on one of the world’s biggest stages in an unforgettable way and not doing anything convincing necessarily leaves a great feeling of waste, while the Briton is only 21 years old.
But since she had to wait for an invitation to Wimbledon due to her ranking outside the Top 150, she had no certainty for the draw. If she avoided a big name, she will have to fight with Ekaterina AlexandrovaThe Russian has won twice on grass, in Rosmalen in 2022 and 2023, has a better track record, more experience, and above all she is one of the four players to have beaten Iga Swiatek in 2024, having outclassed the Polish in Miami.
But if the Briton were to get through this first round – which she is capable of – the rest could turn in her favour, and above all, she would benefit from the unconditional support of a public that wants to get excited for its own people and only its own people. Wimbledon has been waiting for an English winner for Virginia Wade, last winner in 1977! It probably won’t be for this year, but Emma Raducanu must send a real sign that this New York triumph will not be without a future. Three years later, it is time.
