Credit: Getty
Strong Women
Emma Raducanu pays tribute to Serena Williams after the pair go head-to-head in Cincinnati
By Lauren Geall
3 years ago
1 min read
Serena Williams may have announced her retirement from tennis, but she’s inspired a whole new generation of players – including Britain’s Emma Raducanu.
Updated 17 August: Emma Raducanu may have claimed victory in her match against the tennis legend Serena Williams yesterday (16 August), but she used her post-match interviews to pay tribute to Williams’ incredible career.
Raducanu – who is 21 years younger than Williams – won 6-4, 6-0 in the first-round at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati. Speaking after she took home the win, Raducanu said she was “grateful” to have been able to play Williams before she retires from the sport after the US Open later this month.
“It feels pretty amazing, to be honest. I can’t believe I just played Serena Williams,” she said. “[This] may be one of the last opportunities I get to play her. You have to cherish the moment, and you’re going to have this memory for the rest of your career. I was just really trying to make the most out of every single point out there and give myself the best memories of when I played Serena once.”
Despite her win, Raducanu said she didn’t feel the need to celebrate. “To be honest, I was just in awe,” she added. “I think I said one ‘come on’ in the match, and I was just saying it to myself, because I respect her so much as an athlete, as a tennis player, as a person.”
Raducanu will now go on to play former world number one Victoria Azarenka in the tournament’s second round.
As reported 15 August: If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed to put a smile on our faces here at Stylist, it’s seeing women supporting women.
In a world that so often puts women down, seeing our favourite celebrities using their platforms to lift each other up is seriously inspiring – and Emma Raducanu’s latest comments about Serena Williams are no different.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of her debut at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, Raducanu – who is set to play Williams in the tournament’s first-round match tomorrow (16 August) – expressed her excitement about getting to play the tennis legend after she announced she would soon be stepping away from the sport.
“I think it’s gonna be an exciting match,” Raducanu, who won the US Open last year at the age of 18, said. “I’m looking forward to it. It’s an amazing opportunity to play probably the best tennis player of all time. It’s probably going to be my last opportunity to ever play her.”
She continued: “I think that, for our careers to have crossed over, I think I’m really fortunate that I get to play her. Whatever happens, I think it’s gonna be a really good experience for me and something that I will remember for the rest of my life.”
It’s a great gift to play the best on her way out from the sport
Asked about whether she had any expectations for herself ahead of the match and the rest of the tournament, Raducanu added: “Expectations, I don’t really know, I don’t really care. I just want to go out there and, one, enjoy the match that I’m going to play whenever I do play it.
“It’s a great gift to play the best on her way out from the sport. So, I’m just looking forward to that.”
While it’s sad to think we’ll only get to watch Williams play a few more times before she moves on from the sport, Raducanu’s comments are indicative of the widespread impact she has had on the sport as a whole.
Credit: Getty
This isn’t the first time Raducanu has expressed her admiration for Williams, either. Speaking when Williams first announced her retirement last week (9 August), Raducanu described the tennis legend’s career as “incredible”.
“She has achieved so much, and to see her around in this US Open swing is really inspiring,” she said.
“Like, she keeps playing because she obviously loves the game. And I think that longevity of a career is something that a lot of the players, and me especially, we aspire to achieve as well.”
Raducanu continued: “I think that she definitely changed the game. To dominate that much, I think that it was, well there’s not really been someone who has dominated like her in the women’s game. So, I think she did change the game a lot in that respect.”
If one thing’s for sure, Raducanu is just one of the thousands of young players Williams has likely inspired throughout her career – and seeing the excitement Raducanu has about her match with Williams is a reminder of just how powerful a legacy she leaves behind.
Images: Getty
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