Emma Raducanu‘s incredible victory over Maria Sakkari has undoubtedly put her in the running for the Wimbledon 2024 women’s singles championship.
She proved she was more than capable of taking on the top players in women’s tennis with her victories against the world No. 9 at this year’s Championships and the world No. 5 Jessica Pegula in Eastbourne.
Due to a shoulder injury, Aryna Sabalenka is not present, and Iga Swiatek, the current world No. 1, has not always been as powerful on grass courts.
Raducanu has had a complete comeback and could have to play US Open winner Coco Gauff. Gauff recently defeated Sonay Kartal of Britain, showing why she is a championship candidate by ruthlessly producing a second-set bagel.
If the British wildcard defeats world No. 123 qualifier Lulu Sun in the fourth round and then either Paula Badosa or Donna Vekic in the quarterfinals, she’d be headed on a collision course with the American second seed in the last four, who, like Raducanu, is a youthful, one-time major winner.
While no match at Wimbledon is easy by any means, and given the pressure of playing at your home Grand Slam – at a time when the legendary Andy Murray is retiring and the British crowds are as loud and emotional as ever – Raducanu is surely a big favourite heading into the clash with Sun given her glowing form.
Even if she insists her next foe Sun is ‘extremely dangerous’ and that facing qualifiers are ‘sometimes more dangerous’ than some of the top players.
If she wins, it would mean an unseeded opponent up next in the quarter-finals with either Badosa, a world No.2 two years ago, or world No.37 Vekic. They are two players, who like Raducanu, would be in uncharted territory given they too have only ever reached the fourth round at the All England Club before.
Should Raducanu trump Gauff in a blockbuster semi-final, the biggest match of her career to date on July 13 could be a showdown with Swiatek, if she shakes off her problems on grass, fourth-seed Elena Rybakina – the 2022 Wimbledon winner – or Ons Jabeur and Elina Svitolina, who funnily enough face each other today.
Jabeur has been the Wimbledon runner-up two years in a row and must be desperate to get her hands on the Venus Rosewater Dish, while two-time semi-finalist Svitolina cannot be written off either. It should also be noted that Jasmine Paolini remains in the draw while last year’s final truly proved anything is possible.
But Raducanu must surely now fancy her chances, given her impeccable performances during the grass swing which have shown exactly why there has been so much hype over this 21-year-old superstar, who is already a huge British sporting name after achieving historic major success in New York three years ago.
Publicly, she has been very coy about her hopes thus far. But the voices around her are going to get louder and clearer that she is becoming a title hopeful if she keeps winning in SW19.
‘Honestly, that’s so far ahead,’ Raducanu said in her post-match conference on Friday when asked about a potential debut Wimbledon semi-final appearance.
‘I haven’t looked that far ahead. I only focus on who I’m playing next. I think that’s the best way to be. I think staying present in the moment is what got me this far. I’m not going to start changing anything.’
Meanwhile, Raducanu admitted she has been studying Wimbledon men’s singles champion Carlos Alcaraz – who is the same age as the Brit. Perhaps it is giving her a mental boost to see a fellow youngster winning under such levels of pressure.
‘Following the Carlos-Tiafoe match, it was such amazing tennis, just very fun to watch,’ Raducanu added.
‘I think the last couple matches I’ve been following Carlos, and yeah, it’s just good to watch before the match. I think sometimes in certain moments you in a way try to emulate certain shots or whatever.’
Emma Raducanu’s winning run goes on
Full of confidence heading into Wimbledon after reaching a semi-final in Nottingham and quarter-final in Eastbourne, in full fitness and superb form after skipping the French Open to focus on grass, Metro asked Emma Raducanu last Saturday about her chances of reaching the second week.
Raducanu insisted she’d have been ‘over the moon’ just to win her first-round match. Well, now, she’s battled past Renata Zarazua, Elise Mertens and, most impressively, ninth-seed Maria Sakkari.
She’s been in sizzling form and hasn’t dropped a set, looking particularly exceptional ever since winning a first-set tie-break in her opening match.
Talking of pressure, Raducanu has insisted that ‘pressure’s a privilege’ and that she can ‘thrive’ with the help of the adoring British crowds in SW19.
‘I love playing on the big courts,’ Raducanu, who had a career-high ranking of world No.10 two years ago, said. ‘For me, I thrive on such occasions, on big stages. It’s something that I play tennis for. I just love the feeling of it, competing, especially here in front of a home crowd.
‘It is really amazing. I think on the pressure side, you can flip it. I have a packed Centre Court who are all rooting for me to win. It really felt like that today. It really felt like that in my last two matches.
‘For me, I just feel happy that that many people are behind me. That’s just in a microcosm of what’s going on in the wider world. Not everyone who supported me is in that stadium, as well. I think pressure’s a privilege, as well. I thrive for those situations.’
For now, Raducanu, the heir to Murray, who she plays mixed doubles with later today, is not allowing herself to dream of Wimbledon glory. She just wants to savour every moment, and for that no-one can blame her.
‘I don’t think I ever will until I’m in the situation,’ Raducanu, ranked world No.135 due to a long period of inactivity in 2023, added. ‘Like, I just have to keep going point by point. I think today was a really good example of me just taking it moment by moment and fighting.
‘I was able to turn some score lines in the game around, being 15-40. I think that’s the best way for me to approach it. I think also for me to be winning that match against a top-10 opponent on Centre Court, it’s a beautiful feeling and one that I really want to savour.
‘But tennis is pretty brutal in the way you have to enjoy it tonight and then tomorrow you’re already thinking about the next one. It’s just like that. You can win the tournament but you can lose first round the next week. It’s the sport. I’m just trying to cherish every moment I have here.’
Despite continuously playing down her title chances, Raducanu, who has firmly shaken off accusations of lacking ‘heart’, is edging ever closer to becoming Britain’s next singles champion at Wimbledon with every point, game, set and match that she wins.