Inside Emma Raducanu’s jet-setting life, from love of F1 & go karting to bond with Marcus Rashford
EMMA RADUCANU is the new US Open champion after a stunning 6-4, 6-3 victory against Leylah Fernandez in the final on Saturday. But the British teenager, 18, is more than just a phenomenal tennis player, enjoying an exciting and fascinating life off the court. Raducanu shares a lot of her incredible life with her 1.3MILLION […]
EMMA RADUCANU is the new US Open champion after a stunning 6-4, 6-3 victory against Leylah Fernandez in the final on Saturday.
But the British teenager, 18, is more than just a phenomenal tennis player, enjoying an exciting and fascinating life off the court.
Raducanu shares a lot of her incredible life with her 1.3MILLION followers on Instagram – which has increased dramatically in recent days.
The young star loves watching other sports, travelling the world, spending time with friends and inspiring the next generation.
Here, SunSport takes a look into the life of Raducanu – Britain’s newest tennis icon.
BILINGUAL STAR
Raducanu was born in Toronto, Canada, in November 2002 before moving to London two years later and growing up in Britain.
Her dad, Ian, is Romanian and her mum, Renee, is Chinese – and the teenager’s heritage is huge part of her life.
Raducanu lists four locations on her official Instagram page: London, Toronto, Bucharest and Shenyang.
According to BBC Sport, she’s ‘quite capable’ of speaking Mandarin and loves to watch Taiwanese TV shows.
The youngster also enjoys visiting Romania to see her family and beloved grandmother, Mamiya.
She told the press: “I go back a couple of times a year, stay with her, see her. It’s really nice. I love the food, to be honest.
“I mean, the food is unbelievable. And my grandma’s cooking is also something special. I do have ties to Bucharest.”
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DRIVEN TO SUCCESS
One of Raducanu’s great passions in life is motorsport, visiting Silverstone to watch Sir Lewis Hamilton win the British Grand Prix in July.
The teenager loved go-karting and motocross as a child and continues to dabble in the sports during her spare time.
Expect to see the teenager at many F1 races in the coming years – and other sporting events, too.
Raducanu is fond of horse riding, tap dancing, golf, skiing, basketball and football – cheering England on during Euro 2020.
She watched the Three Lions beat Denmark at Wembley in July and even claimed the US Open title was coming ‘home’ after her win.
That is of course a reference to English football’s famous ‘It’s Coming Home’ chant, which is heard in stadiums when the national team achieves.
But tennis is her priority – and not even the Covid-19 lockdown could stop her from practising against the garage door.
FAMOUS FRIENDS
Every celebrity will want to be mates with Raducanu after her success at Flushing Meadows.
Various famous faces, including Boris Johnson, Ant & Dec, Stephen Fry, Nicola Sturgeon and Clare Balding have paid tribute to her success.
Even the QUEEN has published an open letter to congratulate Raducanu on her remarkable triumph – which the tennis star plans to frame.
It’s believed she came very close with Strictly Come Dancing star HRVY during her run to the fourth round of Wimbledon in July.
A source told SunSport: “HRVY watched Emma play at Wimbledon and thought she was stunning, so he decided to get in touch with her.
“She was really flattered by the attention and they have been swapping messages.”
Raducanu is also mates with Marcus Rashford, with the Manchester United hero offering his support after her Wimbledon exit.
She recently told Vogue: “I was feeling like I let people down, so for him to reassure me like that – I was extremely grateful.”
Rashford congratulated Raducanu on her American success, tweeting: “Look at that bounce back… US Open champion, amazing. Congratulations!”
And she went to the same school as sprinter Dina Asher-Smith, although they attended Newstead Wood in Orpington at different times.
Raducanu has not forgotten her roots, taking time out her busy schedule to visit her old primary school on sports day.
Raducanu inspired the next generation by handing out medals and playing tennis with the kids, giving them some priceless tips.
SEEING THE SIGHTS
Raducanu loves playing tennis around the world, regularly posting updates of her travels on Instagram.
She recently competed in the Chicago Tennis Festival and revealed her appreciation of the American city, writing: “See you soon Chicago.”
The youngster has also been to Miami, the Golden Bridge in San Francisco and the Empire State Building in New York.
And, as tennis’ newest Grand Slam winner, she will be invited to every major city on the planet to show off her incredible tennis skills.
CASH IN THE BANK
Raducanu is now a millionaire after picking up a cheque for £1.8m – for winning the US Open.
And she’s expected to earn £150MILLION during her blossoming career thanks to prize money and various endorsements.
Talent agent Jonathan Shalit revealed: “I already have her down to become the first £150million British female sports star.
“And she could be the biggest female sports star in the world.”
But Raducanu isn’t driven by the cash and aims to continue winning titles and inspiring the next generation of female athletes to succeed.
Coach Matt James, who has worked with her since she was 16, said: “She will inspire a lot of people, especially girls. She has a great attitude.
‘”She’s playing these matches with a smile on her face and she’s going out and saying, ‘I’m just going to enjoy the experience.’
“But at the same time she is a fierce competitor who can compose herself under enormous pressure.”