SINGAPORE — In a bid to construct momentum for the brand new season — one which, in her personal phrases, has already “began fairly nicely” — Emma Raducanu finds herself one of many headline acts of this week’s Singapore Tennis Open.
Whereas the event will understandably be unfamiliar to many, given that is its inaugural version as top-level tennis returns to the Southeast Asian nation for the primary time because it hosted the WTA Finals from 2014 to 2018, the placement itself is hardly overseas to Raducanu.
In reality, she completely feels proper at house in Singapore.
Even earlier than the materialisation of the brand new WTA 250 occasion, Raducanu had already visited the nation on her personal travels and had her Singaporean followers excited again in January 2022 when she was noticed having a success at a neighborhood tennis membership.
Extra than simply being one in every of her most popular abroad locations, it’s Singapore’s cosmopolitan identification that resonates with the 22-year-old Canadian-born Brit of Romanian and Chinese language heritage.
“I am extraordinarily excited to be in Singapore. It is one in every of my favorite locations on this planet, so it means so much that there is a tennis event right here,” mentioned Raducanu, in a one-on-one interview with ESPN.
“Each time I have been right here earlier than, I’ve had superb love, superb help from individuals on the tennis membership, and I am simply excited to get on the match court docket right here and get began.
“I believe the affinity with Singapore happened as a result of, I believe in 2022, I got here again from Australia [after the Australian Open] and I might at all times wished to go to Singapore as a result of I really feel prefer it’s the proper fusion between East and West.
“I really feel it represents me so much as a result of [two of] the languages right here — Mandarin, in addition to English — I can use each.
“As quickly as I landed in Singapore and went round, I felt at house as a result of I simply really feel prefer it’s a spot that displays who I’m.”
The Singapore Tennis Open coincides with the Lunar New 12 months on Wednesday, a pageant that Raducanu celebrates given her Chinese language roots.
Though profession will come first for Raducanu within the 12 months of the Snake, that’s not to say she won’t be able to have the standard gatherings and reunions together with her family members.
“It is good to be in Asia over Chinese language New 12 months. I’ve my mother right here as nicely with me, which is a very nice addition,” she revealed.
“My finest pal really is [from] Singapore and she or he’s again for the Chinese language New 12 months holidays. Often she works within the NHS [England’s National Health Service] as a health care provider. She invited me out for dinner together with her grandma so hopefully I could make that if I am not taking part in!”
Household and associates apart, Raducanu may even haven’t any scarcity of followers supporting her over the previous week — and it’s apparent why that’s the case.
Her gorgeous triumph on the US Open in 2021 launched her to stardom. She was the primary participant within the Open Period, feminine or male, to win a Grand Slam event as a qualifier — with out shedding a single set at that.
Her undoubted expertise coupled together with her genial persona gained her legions of supporters in a single day.
What has equally put her within the highlight has been some making an attempt instances since.
Raducanu has been candid sufficient together with her struggles with accidents and kind beforehand. The US Open victory stays her solely profession title thus far.
Nonetheless solely 22, maybe all that she has skilled in her profession to this point — each the great and the dangerous — has formed the individual she comes throughout as: optimistic but stoic in equal components.
“In fact, it may include the territory,” Raducanu replied, when requested concerning the stress and expectations that consistently observe her.
“I believe I welcome it as a problem but in addition a privilege. It is solely like that as a result of I achieved such an incredible factor [so I] must take the positives from that.
“I believe all of the individuals on the high of the sport, or on the high of no matter business they’re in, expertise an analogous factor.
“Everybody performs their finest tennis in opposition to you. You simply must try to take it as a praise and assume ‘okay, you are going to play higher however I’ll try to beat you anyway’.
“I believe it is a pure factor that occurs for those who’ve achieved nicely and now I am simply working in direction of constructing a extra constant and sustainable Emma.”
With the arrogance that she is at present in “a extremely wholesome place” and coming off the again of a largely optimistic Australian Open — even when it resulted in a third-round exit by the hands of five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Świątek — what would an excellent yr forward be for Raducanu?
“In an excellent world, 2025 would appear to be an Emma Raducanu who’s performed fairly a number of extra tournaments [and] competed in any respect the Slams,” she added.
“Then, clearly I’ve a number of targets that I want to maintain to myself, however I am striving in direction of constructing one thing good.
“I am extraordinarily excited for this season. I really feel like I began fairly nicely [and] made a optimistic begin in Australia.
“It is a good week for me to construct on. I am simply excited to maintain pushing on and constructing these weeks, and simply seeking to try to be on court docket longer, be on court docket wholesome, and maintain having fun with what I am doing.”
