SINGAPORE — In a bid to construct momentum for the brand new season — one which, in her personal phrases, has already “began fairly properly” — Emma Raducanu finds herself one of many headline acts of this week’s Singapore Tennis Open.
Whereas the match 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 truth, she completely feels proper at dwelling 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 an area tennis membership.
Extra than simply being certainly one of her most popular abroad locations, it’s Singapore’s cosmopolitan id 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 certainly one of my favorite locations on the planet, so it means quite a bit that there is a tennis match right here,” stated 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 folks on the tennis membership, and I am simply excited to get on the match court docket right here and get began.
“I feel the affinity with Singapore took place as a result of, I feel in 2022, I got here again from Australia [after the Australian Open] and I might all the time 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 quite a bit 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 dwelling 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 Yr on Wednesday, a competition that Raducanu celebrates given her Chinese language roots.
Though profession will come first for Raducanu within the Yr of the Snake, that’s not to say she will be unable to have the standard gatherings and reunions along with her family members.
“It is good to be in Asia over Chinese language New Yr. I’ve my mother right here as properly with me, which is a very nice addition,” she revealed.
“My finest buddy really is [from] Singapore and he or she’s again for the Chinese language New Yr holidays. Normally she works within the NHS [England’s National Health Service] as a health care provider. She invited me out for dinner along with her grandma so hopefully I could make that if I am not enjoying!”
Household and associates apart, Raducanu can even haven’t any scarcity of followers supporting her over the previous week — and it’s apparent why that’s the case.
Her beautiful 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 match as a qualifier — with out dropping a single set at that.
Her undoubted expertise coupled along with her genial persona gained her legions of supporters in a single day.
What has equally put her within the highlight has been some attempting instances since.
Raducanu has been candid sufficient along with her struggles with accidents and kind beforehand. The US Open victory stays her solely profession title up to now.
Nonetheless solely 22, maybe all that she has skilled in her profession thus far — each the great and the unhealthy — has formed the individual she comes throughout as: optimistic but stoic in equal components.
“In fact, it will include the territory,” Raducanu replied, when requested concerning the strain and expectations that consistently comply with her.
“I feel I welcome it as a problem but in addition a privilege. It is solely like that as a result of I achieved such a tremendous factor [so I] must take the positives from that.
“I feel all of the folks on the high of the sport, or on the high of no matter business they’re in, expertise an identical factor.
“Everybody performs their finest tennis in opposition to you. You simply need to attempt to take it as a praise and assume ‘okay, you are going to play higher however I’ll attempt to beat you anyway’.
“I feel it is a pure factor that occurs in the event you’ve accomplished properly and now I am simply working in direction of constructing a extra constant and sustainable Emma.”
With the boldness that she is at the moment in “a extremely wholesome place” and coming off the again of a largely constructive Australian Open — even when it led to a third-round exit by the hands of five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Świątek — what would a really perfect 12 months forward be for Raducanu?
“In a really perfect world, 2025 would appear like 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 choose 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 properly [and] made a constructive 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 attempt to be on court docket longer, be on court docket wholesome, and maintain having fun with what I am doing.”