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Home favorite Raducanu relishing Center Court debut at Wimbledon
When Emma Raducanu competes at Wimbledon this week, she will return to the venue of not only one of her most cherished moments last year when she made her Grand Slam debut but also one of her most harrowing.
Before Raducanu became a household name last year, the teenager was ranked 338 in the world when she received a wildcard and she reached the last-16 against all odds even as British hopes faded as her compatriots made early exits.
She coped surprisingly well with the pressure but her fairytale Wimbledon debut ended in distressing circumstances when she was forced to retire in the fourth round after suffering breathing difficulties.
As debates raged over whether the youngster was up to the task of handling pressure on the big stage, they were quickly put to rest two months later after she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam when she lifted the US Open.
Now having played a year on Tour, battle-hardened Raducanu is ranked 11th in the world but she has also been humbled in some respects by recent results and injuries.
But the 19-year-old is no longer a stranger to pressure as she welcomed the prospect of kicking off the women's action on Center Court against Alison van Uytvanck.
"It's always my dream to step out on Center Court. It's something I've always wanted to do and started playing tennis for," said Raducanu who has never hit on Center Court.
"This year I get such a special feeling walking around the grounds, I definitely feel that people are behind me. Even from some of the people working on the tournament, they're like, 'You got ,this' just cheering me on, that's pretty special."
Another British hope being viewed with cautious optimism is former champion Andy Murray who has fought defiantly after career-threatening hip surgery to rise up to 51st in the rankings. A run to the final in Stuttgart has made the unseeded Scot a dark horse in the draw but whether his body can go the distance in five-set matches remains to be seen as the 35-year-old takes on James Duckworth in the opening round.
Top seed Novak Djokovic will start his campaign against Kwon Soon-woo without having played a single competitive match on grass following his quarterfinal run at the French Open.
Before Raducanu became a household name last year, the teenager was ranked 338 in the world when she received a wildcard and she reached the last-16 against all odds even as British hopes faded as her compatriots made early exits.
She coped surprisingly well with the pressure but her fairytale Wimbledon debut ended in distressing circumstances when she was forced to retire in the fourth round after suffering breathing difficulties.
As debates raged over whether the youngster was up to the task of handling pressure on the big stage, they were quickly put to rest two months later after she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam when she lifted the US Open.
Now having played a year on Tour, battle-hardened Raducanu is ranked 11th in the world but she has also been humbled in some respects by recent results and injuries.
But the 19-year-old is no longer a stranger to pressure as she welcomed the prospect of kicking off the women's action on Center Court against Alison van Uytvanck.
"It's always my dream to step out on Center Court. It's something I've always wanted to do and started playing tennis for," said Raducanu who has never hit on Center Court.
"This year I get such a special feeling walking around the grounds, I definitely feel that people are behind me. Even from some of the people working on the tournament, they're like, 'You got ,this' just cheering me on, that's pretty special."
Another British hope being viewed with cautious optimism is former champion Andy Murray who has fought defiantly after career-threatening hip surgery to rise up to 51st in the rankings. A run to the final in Stuttgart has made the unseeded Scot a dark horse in the draw but whether his body can go the distance in five-set matches remains to be seen as the 35-year-old takes on James Duckworth in the opening round.
Top seed Novak Djokovic will start his campaign against Kwon Soon-woo without having played a single competitive match on grass following his quarterfinal run at the French Open.
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