Emma Raducanu is a British professional tennis player born November 13, 2002, in Toronto, Canada, who moved to London at age two and obtained British citizenship. She made tennis history at eighteen by becoming the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam singles title at the 2021 US Open, defeating notable players including Belinda Bencic and Maria Sakkari. Her remarkable achievement marked the first Grand Slam victory by a British woman since 1977, though her subsequent career reveals the complexities of sustaining elite-level performance.
A meteoric rise through professional tennis catapulted Emma Raducanu from relative obscurity to global stardom when she became the first qualifier in history to win a Grand Slam singles title at the 2021 US Open, achieving this unprecedented feat at just 18 years old. Born on November 13, 2002, in Toronto, Canada, Raducanu moved to London at age two and subsequently obtained British citizenship, representing Great Britain in international tennis competition despite her Chinese and Romanian heritage.
From qualifier to champion at 18, Emma Raducanu’s unprecedented US Open victory launched her from obscurity to tennis stardom.
The right-handed player, standing 5’7″ tall, began her tennis journey at age five and developed an aggressive baseline style characterized by powerful return games. Her breakthrough moment came during the 2021 US Open, where she defeated notable opponents including Olympic champion Belinda Bencic and Maria Sakkari before facing Leylah Fernandez in the final, securing victory to become the youngest British major winner in tennis history.
Raducanu’s historic achievement marked the first Grand Slam victory by a British woman since 1977, establishing her as the youngest British woman to reach Wimbledon’s last 16 in the Open Era. Her career-high WTA singles ranking reached No. 10, accompanied by notable victories including a commanding 6-4, 6-0 defeat of Serena Williams at the 2022 Western & Southern Open.
Throughout her professional career, she has accumulated $746,221 in prize money with a 16-13 win-loss record. Recognition for her tennis contributions led to her appointment as Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in November 2022, with King Charles III presenting the honor. Additionally, she received multiple “Player of the Month” accolades during her 2021 breakthrough season and earned placement on TIME’s 100 Next list, acknowledging her influence in inspiring new generations of British tennis players. Demonstrating her academic excellence alongside athletic prowess, she achieved A in mathematics and an A in economics for her A-Levels.
Despite her early success, Raducanu has encountered significant challenges, including a retirement at Wimbledon 2021 due to breathing difficulties and missed tournaments in 2024 caused by back problems. Her record against top-eight opposition stands at 1-13 as of 2024, highlighting the ongoing performance gap she faces against elite players. Raducanu serves as one of three ambassadors for the LTA Youth junior tennis programme, working to inspire children aged 4-18 to play tennis regardless of their background or ability.
Recent competitive efforts include reaching quarterfinals in Cluj and Nottingham Trophy tournaments, along with advancing to Wimbledon 2024’s third round before losing to world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Raducanu continues maneuvering the pressures of professional tennis while working to bridge the consistency gap between her breakthrough achievements and sustained high-level performance against the sport’s elite competitors.
