Emma Raducanu is still only 22 years old, and she's still finding herself in many aspects of being a professional athlete.
Most athletes experience a gradual rise to fame. With every win and every move up the ranking, they become more popular, and more and more fans get to know that.
Like that, they are able to get used to the fame connected to being a successful athlete. That, however, was not the case for Raducanu, who rose to stardom overnight.
She entered the qualifying at the 2021 US Open ranked 150th on the WTA Tour, and at the time, apart from hardcore British tennis fans, not many knew who Raducanu was.
Less than three weeks later, that changed. She was holding the US Open trophy high above her head, celebrating her incredible success of becoming the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam.
She immediately skyrocketed up the rankings, and so did her popularity. Everyone knew who Emma Raducanu was, and her signature and a selfie with her were in high demand.
Initially, Raducanu had trouble dealing with this, but she learned how to approach her fame. Another thing she needed to learn was how to stay motivated after such success.
Winning the US Open at 18 is an incredible success, and for many tennis players, winning the Grand Slam title is the ultimate goal in their tennis careers.
As a talented player, Raducanu knew she could win another one, which she initially stated as her next goal, but over time, she realized that this approach was not sustainable, as she revealed in an interview with PA.
"Initially when I first started, before I won the US Open, my main reason was: ‘I want to win a Grand Slam’. And that happened so young. I’m so grateful for it. But as soon as that happens, I’m like, ‘OK, well what now? I want to win another Grand Slam’. It’s just not sustainable."
She knew that winning her second major wouldn't be easy at all, and very quickly, she would get frustrated by failing to do that.
That's why Raducanu had to find another reason to play the sport. She had to fall in love with it for other reasons, which include enjoying it.
"Because, when you don’t win another Grand Slam straight away, you get frustrated with that. Now, the reason I play is genuine. I really enjoy what I’m doing, how I’m working, the people I’m working with."
Now, the 22-year-old Brit is focused on exploring how good of an athlete she can become, which motivates her to improve every single day.
"And I just want to see how good I can be. I really want to see how fast I can be, how fit I can be, how explosive, how well I can move, what I can do. It’s literally just about playing it like a game, seeing how far I can go."
She will begin her 2025 season in Auckland before moving to Melbourne, where she will compete at the Australian Open.
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