I had said and written it in many past articles: leave Emma Raducanu alone and give her all the time she needs to come back, instead of tormenting her with criticism; and the encouraging signs seen this year are translating into excellent performances at Wimbledon. The young British player has emerged from the psycho-physical twilight of recent seasons and she can now dream of something important, at the Championships. The victory, deserved and dominated, in the 2nd round of the tournament against Elise Mertens showed a solid, athletically and tactically perfect player on the court, able to handle the pressure of the event well.
In the post-match interview, Emma honestly admitted that the victory over Mertens is the best match in years. The Briton also talked about the mixed doubles with Andy Murray who will play with her legendary countryman Andy Murray.
"I think yeah, this was the best match I've played in years! I knew all the yards and hard work I've put in this year would pay off. I'm so happy to be able to reap some of the rewards here at Wimbledon. I think I'm playing really good tennis. I'm really happy with the improvements I've made. I think I played really good tennis today. I'm really happy. I'm over the moon to be playing here and to be staying here for another day. I'm so grateful for everyone's support today. With the roof closed, it was super loud. I'm so grateful and thankful for everyone for making so much noise. It makes me feel incredible. I feel so welcome here. Obviously Court 1 is my favourite," she said.
On playing mixed doubles with Andy Murray, she explained: "Andy is a hero to all of us. It's a real gift to me and it's a real honor that he asked me. It's a moment I could never say no to. I'm super excited to be on the mixed doubles court and hopefully learn something about how to get to the net or something like that. My doubles record is not the longest or the biggest. I couldn't say no. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It's been a dream of mine since I was a little girl."
