Emma Raducanu reveals there were times when she felt a bit envious over missing out on parties but after thinking about it deeper, she stopped regretting it because she was looking at the bigger picture and knowing that there was a good reason why she was making all of those sacrifices.
In the past, the 21-year-old spoke a couple of times about how her parents used to be very demanding and pushing her to do something with her life and be successful. With that being said, the Briton's daily routine was pretty much the same - it was either something about school or tennis.
And now that she has made it in pro tennis and become one of the most popular players and an ambassador for some of the world's biggest brands, Raducanu knows it was all worth it.
"There were certain moments where I felt envy - like when there were parties that I couldn't go to, but at the end of the day, I didnt know any different. You dont miss what you dont know. I knew I wanted to be the best and I knew what I needed to do to get there, so I didnt think of it as a sacrifice. Newstead (a girls' grammar school) is pretty demanding, so it wasnt like I could take it easy off the court, either. I put all my time into tennis or school, but it was good to have those two different worlds: school and tennis. Each was a break from the other," the British tennis star told Women's Health magazine.
Raducanu on seeing paparazzi in front of her home
After reaching the 2021 Wimbledon round-of-16 as an 18-year-old wildcard, she introduced herself to the British tennis community but also the entire tennis world. While there was a lot of positive attention on the Briton during that summer, no one could have predicted that soon she would very quickly go from a promising teenager to a Grand Slam champion and one of the most popular players.
When Raducanu returned home following her historic 2021 US Open win that saw her become the first-ever qualifier to win a Slam, she noticed paparazzi crews waiting for her. And for the former world No. 10, it felt "crazy" to see that happening in front of her Bromley home.
"I remember pulling up and seeing paparazzi outside my house. It was crazy, but as soon as I went inside to my family and friends, everything felt pretty relaxed. My mum had made dumplings, and we all sat around the table chatting. I didnt want to do anything fancy or outrageous, I just wanted to enjoy and spend quality time with people I can really be myself with," the Briton recounted.
Raducanu explains how she deals with challenges, adversity now
The 21-year-old's issues with injuries but also constant criticism and scrutiny are well-documented. While she has managed to stay healthy throughout 2024 for the most part, the British tennis star recently suffered a ligament injury in Seoul and that forced her to retire from her quarterfinal match there and also miss back-to-back WTA 1000 tournaments in Beijing and Wuhan.
Considering that Asia is one of Raducanu's favorite regions of the world and that she admitted at the start of the Asian swing that she was hoping to do some great things this fall, it was certainly very disappointing to pick up the injury. But the current world No. 57 is refusing to be too negative or pessimistic about the latest adversity.
"There has been a lot of volatility over the past three years. And I think the most Ive come into myself has been in the last few weeks. One of the biggest lessons Ive learned is non-attachment; acknowledging that everything comes and goes. Every moment is fleeting, and how you interact with the present dictates how you feel, the quality of your work, the quality of your relationships, and how much the people around you enjoy being with you," Raducanu explained.
"I've taught myself not to label things as black or white. For example, with this injury, Im trying to catch myself and stop labeling it as like, 'Oh, Im so unlucky, this is so bad.' Ive learned to accept things and reframe them. Im not completely unable to exercise, so Ill still do things like yoga or Pilates low-impact exercise, so Im focusing on that. Ive matured a lot in the last few weeks, to be honest."
In the next two weeks, tournaments in Ningbo and Guangzhou are slated to take place. Unfortunately, the former world No. 10 isn't ready to play in either of the two events.
However, Raducanu remains on the list for the WTA 250 tournament in Hong Kong, which starts on October 28th.
