By Scoop Malinowski
Status: WTA no. 42. Winner of three WTA singles titles. Highest ranking was no. 2 in April 2022.
DOB: Nov. 15, 1997 in: New York, N.Y.
Ht: 5-11 Wt: 130
Residence: Begur, Spain
First tennis memory: I remember the first time I began to play clay tennis. It was a small court. And I remember my first match at the age of eight … I lost 6-0 6-0. I remember my first victory, my first trophy. I have very good memories of that.
Tennis inspirations: Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal.
First famous player you met or encountered: Sara Errani … because I used to train at the same academy and I met her in Valencia.
Early tour memory: I think it was the moment that I … did third round in Miami (2015, as a wildcard, defeated two top hundred ranked players Cetkovska and Zheng before losing to Karolina Pliskova 57 16).
Greatest career moment: Winning Indian Wells (2021). I’m a little bit still in shock. Winning a tournament like this has always been a dream. I’m really proud of it. I’m very happy.
Most painful moment: I had like a bad moment like two years ago… I wasn’t winning so much matches, I was not very consistent. That wasn’t a very good moment.
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Chocolate.
Funniest players encountered: Novak Djokovic is very funny. I don’t know, my idol is Rafa Nadal, so I like him.
Favorite sport outside of tennis: I like futbol, so I’m a Barcelona follower.
Three athletes you like to watch & follow: Lionel Messi. I really like Usain Bolt. And then I like tennis players – I don’t really see many sports.
Why do you love playing tennis: Well, I started doing it and I never stopped. I really love it. I’m very individualistic, and tennis is a very individual sport, so I really like it.
Funniest tennis memory: I remember one time I went to a match with no rackets [smiles]. So it was very awkward [smiles]. I had to ask my opponent for a racket [laughs]. It was a disaster. I was only 13. I was young, but it was no excuse.
What was the result of the match: I won. I was so awkward.
Strangest match: At US Open qualifying a few years ago. I was, like, very nervous, I was playing very bad but I was all the time in the match. I won the match (6-4 in the third set) but in my head I was so, so nervous.
Qualities most admired in others:Â I really like people who are honest and who are fighters. I think I’m a fighter, so, I really like people who fight for their things. And that’s most admirable for me.
BNP Paribas Open · Nike · Paula Badosa · Spain · Wilson tennis
Scoop Malinowski · October 18, 2021 at 1:31 pm
Still remember seeing Paula practice off site at Miami Open on the public courts at the park about a quarter mile away and she seemed in a really down state frustrated, struggling badly, losing a lot of matches, her spirit was down. This was about 2016-2017-2018. But she kept working and believing.
catherine · October 19, 2021 at 11:26 am
Beware the siren songs of agents selling you fame Paula: in Scoop’s words keep ‘working and believing’.
This, from recent Vogue, where else ? It’s worth quoting:
‘The meteoric rise of Emma Raducanu to becoming one of the tennis world’s biggest stars feels almost as if it happened overnight. First, there was her thrilling ascent to the fourth round at Wimbledon this summer, having entered the tournament as a wild card. Then, of course, there was her breathtaking performance at the US Open in September, where she took home the top trophy in a record-breaking win. Finally, in the wake of these wildly impressive victories, it wasn’t long before the fashion world came calling, with Raducanu signing up to become an ambassador for Tiffany & Co. and racking up appearances at the Met Gala and the London premiere of the latest Bond film, No Time to Die.
Today, however, the 18-year-old British athlete is making her boldest step yet into the world of fashion, with the announcement that she will be the house of Dior’s latest ambassador for both Maria Grazia Chiuri’s womenswear collections and the face of the brand’s skincare and makeup offering, overseen by Peter Philips. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, it all began with the dress Raducanu chose to wear to the Bond premiere: a Grecian-inspired empire line gown in shimmering silver from the brand’s resort 2022 collection.
As well as the opulence and craftsmanship behind Dior’s designs, it’s also the house’s fiercely feminist leanings under the current creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri that spoke to Raducanu when she first entered conversations to become an ambassador.
Given her experience storming the court at Grand Slam tournaments, Raducanu certainly knows a thing or two about collective, meaningful events. But with today’s news, it looks like her appearances off the court—now in head-to-toe Dior, of course—will be just as thrilling to watch.’
Well, I doubt it. As the sponsorships pour in watch the trophy runs dry up. And Dior ‘fiercely feminist’? Do me a favour. How many women can afford Dior ?
Honestly, it makes you want to weep. You can forgive Emma as an 18 yr old but it’s harder to forgive those around her.
Scoop Malinowski · October 19, 2021 at 12:32 pm
Catherine, let’s hope they don’t overexpose her. It does make sense to capitalize on her histroic, miraculous US Open triumph though.
catherine · October 20, 2021 at 1:11 am
Interesting comment on the MCM site about the amount of retirements Emma has had in her short career. Could be something of the Andreescu about her?
I like her game – it’s smooth and fluent and she can box the compass with her shotmaking but she’s not ferociously tough. Best thing is she finds a coach and a good team and gets out there and plays. She’s entered for Linz although I strongly doubt she’ll turn up.
Scoop Malinowski · October 20, 2021 at 7:38 am
Catherine, Emma is tough as nails, for her to march through the US Open draw and the best players in the world like she did with no experience and no fear was miraculous. She is as tough as they come but the problem now is everyone in the tennis jungle is hunting her and she has nowhere to hide. She’s overwhelmed. It’s a different game now.
catherine · October 20, 2021 at 2:16 pm
From WTA – latest on Emma. Don’t know anything about this guy. She’s obviously not going for some whizz bang celebrity coach yet and she’s booked for Roumania and Linz.
‘Having parted company with her coach after the US Open, Raducanu last week lined up a trial with seasoned Spaniard Esteban Carril ahead of her planned return to competition at the Transylvanian Open in Romania.
Carril – who is 44 and had a highest singles ranking of No 462 – made his name by helping Johanna Konta climb from outside the world’s top 100 into the top 10, thanks partly to her unexpected run to the semi-finals of the 2016 Australian Open.’
BTW – Flavia Pannetta has caused a minor uproar by downgrading Radunascu’s achievement at the USO – stating it would never have happened ‘in her day’, implying women’s tennis is now generally in the cart.
Scoop Malinowski · October 20, 2021 at 2:38 pm
Catherine, I like Pennetta and will probably vote her into the Hall of Fame but that comment essentially calling Emma a fluke winner is a low blow. No way on earth Pennetta can prove that ASSertion. She is just sounding like a bitter ex champion trying to discredit a new young champion phenomenon who has set the whole sport on fire. Emma’s Army which I predict will grow to make Genie’s Army look like a park bench on a rainy day, will not accept this cheap shot. As for Raducanu’s new coach… all I will say is I can think of a handful of better candidates – Spadea, Joyce, Andrei Pavel, Henman, Cahill, BG, Bajin, Andre Agassi, Fabrice Santoro, Nathalie Tauziat, Gi Gi Fernandez, Michael Russell, Ivan Lendl, Marat Safin, Dinara Safin, Thomas Johansson, Jonas Bjorkman, or even Sam Sumyk.
Scoop Malinowski · October 24, 2021 at 3:47 pm
Kontaveit wins Kremlin Cup, her third title in two months, she hired the best wta coach in the business before US Open Dmiti Tursunov.
catherine · October 25, 2021 at 1:14 am
Emma on her own in Romania.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/oct/24/emma-raducanu-hopeful-of-finding-new-coach-before-australian-open
(I don’t like the presence of IMG agents wherever she goes.)
She’ll have a dip in form, but that’s expected. She needs to build a team soon though.
Scoop Malinowski · October 25, 2021 at 7:36 am
catherine, handlers like to control things, her handlers see her as the ideal puppet to control and manipulate – young, naive, beautiful, lots of money to earn if they can manipulate her to the max.