Earlier this year, Emma Raducanu became a tennis sensation. At only 18 years old, she has become one of the most talked-about athletes in her sport by winning a Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open, making her into British No.1 and a top-25 ranked player.
Born in 2002 in Canada to a Romanian father and a Chinese mother, she moved with her family to the U.K. at the age of 2 and started playing tennis at the age of 5. She attributes her discipline and mental fortitude to her parents both working in the highly competitive finance industry.
"I think it's definitely helped me, the mentality that both of them bring," she once explained. "They both come from very hard-working countries."
Raducanu turned professional in 2018. What makes her recent win even more remarkable is that she made her WTA Tour debut only this year. She reached the fourth round in her first major tournament, making her the youngest British woman to make it that far at Wimbledon in the Open era.
A few months later, at the U.S. Open, she became the first and youngest British woman in over 40 years and first qualifier, male or female, to win a Grand Slam title. Even before winning, she was the first qualifier to make it to the finals of a Grand Slam tournament.
For her record-breaking victory, she is set to receive $2.5 million. Currently sponsored by Nike and Wilson, her recent win will without doubt enable her to be more selective and work with brands and causes in which she believes. Not only did her Instagram follower count and prize-money purses soar, but also her sponsorship potential.
In any case, after a remarkable summer of making tennis history, there is no doubt that her future will be bright and this is only the start of her fantastic journey.
“I’m really here having fun and trying to stay here as long as possible. I think that’s the motivation for me and I’m just going there with nothing to lose,” Raducanu said.