‘Emma Raducanu Reminds’ Tennis Legend of Canadian Who Defeated Serena Williams to Win the US Open

Emma Raducanu has been the talk of the town ever since her emphatic victory at the US Open in 2021 at the age of just 18. But after that, her performance slumped dramatically. A series of injury problems and then followed by wrist and ankle injuries kept her out of action for almost 8 months. Can she make a comeback at the top level this year?

The Swedish former world no.1, Mats Wilander recently answered this question drawing a comparison of Emma Raducanu with Bianca Andreescu. The 23YO Canadian who was the US Open champion in 2019 after defeating Serena Williams in the final, has also been out of action for a while due to a stress fracture in her back. She’ll miss the AO this year but Raducanu will soon be in action at the AO.

Wilander recalls the moment when he first saw Emma Raducanu

Emma Raducanu has described the 2024 season as a ‘fresh start’ in her career. She’s already started her campaign at the ASB Classics. Although she could only reach up to the second round. But she looked fitter, happy, and relaxed ahead of her comeback at the Grand Slam event. Mats Wilander recently spoke about this 21-year-old British star and here’s what he said in his interview with Eurosport.

“She’s such a great tennis player; I thought so the first time I saw her when she made the fourth round at Wimbledon. Immediately you can see how talented she is, she doesn’t have any weaknesses. And, I was also there for the US Open. She seems to have a great mind and moves extremely well. You hope that the injuries won’t follow her for the rest of her career. She reminds me of Bianca Andreescu, the Canadian when they’re healthy, they’re incredible tennis players. Young, but they understand the game,” Wilander.

Emma Raducanu is set to return to Grand Slam action later today when she’ll take on the American Shelby Rogers in her first-round match. What does she say ahead of her AO campaign?

READ MORE: Mother Renee’s Resilient Trait Might Just Help Emma Raducanu Propel Her Career for Glory at the Australian Open

In terms of success, Raducanu wants to have a long term consistent season in 2024

Emma Raducanu had earlier faced her American opponent in the last 16 of the US Open in 2021. That time she not only defeated Rogers emphatically but also went on to clinch her maiden Grand Slam title. Can she script a similar story this time?

She recently spoke to Melbourne press, where she said, “Yeah, I think success to me in the long-term is, for the rest of the year, to play a full season, to be healthy throughout, to be able to train for consistent weeks. I know my level is there, I just need to keep working on it to make it more consistent.”

Raducanu who had once featured in the Top 10 of the women’s singles ranking has now dropped to no.296. But she believes she needs to put hard yards to make sure that she does justice to her ‘level’ of tennis. With time she believes she will get better. 

Watch This Story: Bonafide Fitness Buff Serena Williams Reveals Major Nostalgia That Keeps Her Pumped Up In The Gym