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US Open champion Emma Raducanu recently spoke to China Daily about a host of topics, including her connection with fans in China and which Grand Slam she hopes to win next.
The Toronto-born Brit has a Romanian father and a Chinese mother. Her mixed heritage has helped her garner a lot of interest from different communities around the world.
Raducanu, who is fluent in Mandarin, began the interview by thanking her Chinese fans for the support they showed her during her remarkable run to the US Open title earlier this month. The 18-year-old revealed that she can't wait to play in China next year.
"I certainly want to play in China," Raducanu said. "I want to say thanks for their support. I'm very glad that all my Chinese fans watched my matches. I can't wait until next year to go and play over there."
Raducanu then elaborated on her connection with northeast China. Her mother hails from Shenyang, and Raducanu often visits the city to meet her relatives.
"I'm a girl with a connection to northeastern China," she continued. "My mother is from there. I often go there to see my family members such as my grandma. I definitely want to play matches in China, so that I can see you (her fans) there."
Raducanu's US Open win ended Britain's 44-year wait for a female Grand Slam singles champion. Prior to Raducanu, Virginia Wade had been the last British woman to win a Major when she triumphed at Wimbledon in 1977.
Since Wade's triumph, no female player from Britain has lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish, but Raducanu is keen to change that. When asked if she had set her sights on a particular Grand Slam trophy, the teenager said that if given a choice she would like to win Wimbledon.
'If I were to pick one, then Wimbledon would probably be my choice just because it's such a prestigious event at home and with all the home support. I think it would be very special," Raducanu said.
"I can't believe that I won 10 matches at such a high level at a Grand Slam" - Emma Raducanu reflects on US Open triumph
Emma Raducanu also reflected on her historic US Open triumph earlier this month. The 18-year-old became the first-ever qualifier to win a Grand Slam title when she defeated Canadian teenager Leylah Fernandez in the final.
Raducanu said she was surprised she was able to win 10 matches at a Major, but at the same time revealed she was happy that her hard work had paid off.
"I can't really believe that I played 10 matches and won 10 matches at such a high level at a Grand Slam," the 18-year-old said. "So for me, it's definitely surprising but I'm just really happy that all the hard work that I've done in the past has paid off and on such a big scale."
Raducanu also went on to heap praise on Fernandez, saying she hopes to have many more battles with the Canadian teenager in the future.
"I think it was amazing that two teenagers were in the final of a Grand Slam. I hope that we can play each other in a lot more events because Leylah is a great competitor and player," Raducanu said. "But I think it's also very early and we still have a long way to go until maybe where we can consistently produce these sorts of results."
