Emma Raducanu, one year later…
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The surprise winner of the last edition, in difficulty since her title, enters the running this Tuesday (from 1 am in France) against the French Alizé Cornet.
A star was born a year ago on the Arthur Ashe. At less than 19 years old, Hurricane Raducanu had swept through New York and had become the first player to win a Grand Slam tournament after qualifying (men and women combined). Since Serena Williams at the 2014 US Open, no player had triumphed without dropping a set. From high school to an 8th final at Wimbledon, then to a coronation at the US Open in three months, the incredible trajectory of a girl totally unknown to the general public (and specialists) stunned the tennis world. A shooting star ? Since her feat, the Briton has struggled to manage her new status as champion and star. ” The biggest change in my life? From now on, there are always people around me, she blew Friday at a press conference. Before, I was quite free to do what I wanted, when I wanted. Today is different. But I think it’s inevitable. That’s what I had to deal with the most this year. But I have no regrets.”
Read alsoUS Open: 5 things to know about Emma Raducanu, the incredible winner
A certitude. The young woman has experienced many lows and few highs in the past twelve months. Between physical glitches and lack of confidence, his 2022 season is currently without relief. Since her coronation at Flushing Meadows, she has posted a sad record with only eleven wins and fifteen losses and has never managed to string together three consecutive successes… Scheduled for a night session on the Louis-Armstrong, the Briton begins the defense of her title against at the stainless Alizé Cornet. The Frenchwoman, (who is also playing her 63rd Grand Slam in a row, a women’s record), brought down Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon, breaking the fabulous series of 37 matches won consecutively by the Pole. And the Niçoise lives at 32 her best year in Grand Slam (quarter-finals in Australia and 8th at Wimbledon).
Read alsoTennis: Emma Raducanu fell from her cloud
Emma Raducanu almost looks like an outsider. Especially since she does not seem to be approaching the defense of her title in the best possible way. Victims of blisters during his last training sessions, Raducanu burst into tears… Not a very good omen. She tried to put it into perspective: Defending a title means nothing, it’s a media thing. I will concentrate on what I have to do. And do them my way. »
Harder would be the fall for the 11e world. In the event of an entry defeat against Cornet, she could find herself beyond the 80e place in the next WTA ranking. A loss for good? For a year, she seems to be dragging her triumph like a ball and chain. And some of his choices raise questions. Two weeks after winning the US Open, the Briton had separated from her coach, Andrew Richardson, explaining that she was looking for a more experienced coach. And after her failed start to the season, she changed coaches (again) and ended her collaboration with Torben Beltz… just five months after starting to work with him. For a few weeks she has been collaborating with the Russian Dmitry Tursunov…
Read alsoHurricane Raducanu took it all away at the US Open
Failing to win the matches, the current 12e world player accumulates sponsors and financial successes. Born in Canada, in Toronto, to a Romanian father and a Chinese mother, Emma Raducanu, who arrived in Great Britain at the age of 2, grew up in Burnley (Lancashire) near Manchester. In addition to her charisma on the court, her pretty face makes her particularly bankable. Quit dispersing. She had notably appeared in the last British edition of the prestigious magazine vogue.
In recent months, it has signed partnerships with equipment manufacturers Nike and Wilson, but also Tiffany & Co, Evian and Porsche. These contracts could each bring him between 2 and 4 million euros annually according to the media specializing in sports business SportsPro. Sacred”sports personality of the yearby the BBC, congratulated in person by Queen Elizabeth II, she has become almost as popular as Lewis Hamilton across the Channel. She now has more than 2 million subscribers on her Instagram – she had only 10,000 followers before her coronation in New York… According to the magazine Forbes, Raducanu is now one of the five highest paid sportswomen in the world in 2021. It remains to shine again on the field with rackets in hand.
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