Emma Raducanu will make her important debut at Center Court on Monday, and the US Open champion has admitted that there will undoubtedly be nerves before they walk to the most famous tennis arena.
In light of Raducanu’s astonishing run to the fourth round last year, and all that has happened since then, it’s easy to forget that she’s never had the honor of playing on the main stage at Wimbledon.
But she got a place in a bragging series on the opening day of the championships. Her first-round match against Belgian Alison van Uytvanck was separated between that of defending champion Novak Djokovic and British icon Andy Murray.
The pressure of the moment will be great, but, regardless of the environment, she said she will always juggle a lot of emotions coming back to the All England Club.
“I think there will always be nerves before a game, it doesn’t matter if you play at Center Court or Court 25 – it’s a tennis match and it matters,” she said. “It is good to have nerves, because otherwise it would not matter to you. So I guess I’m just going to be very, very excited, but of course a little nervous. But as soon as the crowd gets going, I will definitely enjoy it. ”
Last year, Raducanu played in the fourth round on the number 1 track against Ajla Tomljanovic, but was forced to retire after having breathing problems. Her experience at showrooms has expanded since then, especially by playing four games at the 23,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium during the U.S. Open. But players are noticing a different aura about Center Court, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
Despite being the youngest honorary member of the All England club, Raducanu’s only experience of Center Court as a spectator was watching the final last year. “To be honest, I have not actually been beaten at Center Court yet. By going there and sitting on it, just taking in everything, I actually watched the women’s final last year. “It does have some similarities with No 1 Court, but it has a special feeling about it just because of all the history and prestige that goes on about Center Court,” she said.
Last year, she was an unknown prospect, fresh after completing her A levels. On Monday, the thousands of fans descending on Wimbledon station will be greeted by a massive billboard of her face in an HSBC ad, one of a number of lucrative brand partnerships she now has in her name.
The spotlight on Raducanu in front of the home crowd is going to be different from anything Wimbledon has seen. Not only is she the overnight British sensation that made history in New York, but she is also suffering from an unfortunate injury.
She has only played 33 minutes on the grass this season, due to a side strain that has kept her out of competitive action since June 7th. Her race to get back to fitness in time was a struggle, but she insisted she was “ready” to go “.
Following last year’s highs, Raducanu has a win-loss ratio of 8-11 for 2022.