Playing in France against a French player is never easy, but none of that bothered Emma Raducanu, who did it in style, winning both of her matches.
Raducanu has had some pretty amazing wins in her young career, but these last couple in France might top that list in style points. The competition was the Billie Jean King Cup, which added a national factor to the tennis experience, and she was playing in France.
It's not the easiest place to play in, especially not when the flags are included, as French fans love to support their players, but none of that bothered the former Top 10 player.
She stunned Caroline Garcia in the first match, overturning the match after losing the first set, and did the same against Diane Parry a day later. Both of these matches were hugely important because they were the crucial ones that allowed the country to secure a spot at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals later this year.
The atmosphere was amazing, and Raducanu got the full experience. She heard shouting, whistling, booing, and the occasional insult she didn't understand. Did it bother her? Not really. She credited the US Open run with preparing her for moments like those.
"It was pretty incredible inside that stadium. Like, the sound, because it’s such an enclosed space, everything feels so much louder. Raducanu also explained that her US Open experience prepared her to face crowds that were pulling for her to lose."
"Luckily, I have good practice. Playing on Arthur Ashe was a similar thing, honestly, especially when they’re all against you. So I honestly wasn’t fazed about the crowd or the sound. I think that doesn’t really bother me, which is probably one of my strengths."
She'll be on the court again soon because she'll play at the upcoming Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.