History of Emma Raducanu in Timeline

Emma Raducanu is a British professional tennis player notable for her swift ascent in the sport. She achieved a career-high WTA singles ranking of world No. 10 and is the current British No. 1. Raducanu rose to prominence after winning the 2021 US Open, becoming the first British woman to secure a major singles title since Virginia Wade's victory at Wimbledon in 1977. Her unexpected triumph at the US Open marked a significant moment in British tennis history.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1968: Virginia Wade Reaches US Open Final

In 1968, Virginia Wade was the last British woman to reach the US Open final before Emma Raducanu in 2021.

1977: Virginia Wade's Wimbledon Championships Win

In 1977, Virginia Wade won the Wimbledon Championships. It was the last time a British woman won a major in singles until Emma Raducanu's US Open win in 2021.

1999: All-Teenage US Open Women's Final

In 1999, the US Open hosted the first all-teenage women's singles final since Emma Raducanu's victory in 2021.

2000: Online tennis coaching session

In June 2023, Emma Raducanu partnered with American digital media platform AirWayz, offering online tennis coaching for $2000 per session, with proceeds directed to the LTA's Youth Coaching Programme.

November 2002: Emma Raducanu's Birth and Family Background

In November 2002, Emma Raducanu was born in Toronto, Canada, and raised in Bromley, England. Her parents, Ion Răducanu from Romania and Renee Zhai (Dongmei) from China, both work in the finance sector.

November 2002: Emma Raducanu Born

In November 2002, Emma Raducanu was born. Raducanu would grow to become a British professional tennis player. She reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 10 by the WTA.

2002: Elena Baltacha Reaches Wimbledon Third Round

In 2002, Elena Baltacha was the youngest British woman to reach the Wimbledon third round until Emma Raducanu matched the achievement.

2014: Serena Williams Wins US Open Without Dropping a Set

In 2014, Serena Williams won the US Open without dropping a set, a feat Emma Raducanu matched in 2021.

2017: ITF Junior Circuit Success

In 2017, Emma Raducanu continued her junior success with two titles in February at the Yonex ITF Hamburg and ITF Oslo Open Grade-4 events.

2017: Sloane Stephens' US Open Victory

In 2017, Sloane Stephens was the US Open champion and former world No. 3 when she was defeated by Emma Raducanu in the first round of the Australian Open in January 2022.

January 2018: Chandigarh Lawn Tennis ITF Tournament Win

In January 2018, Emma Raducanu won the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis girls' ITF tournament, defeating Diana Khodan of Ukraine in straight sets at the Lawn Tennis Association Stadium.

2018: ITF Women's Circuit Debut and First Title

In 2018, Emma Raducanu debuted on the ITF Women's Circuit and secured her first title in May at the 15k event in Tiberias. She finished the season with a second 15k title in October at Antalya.

2018: Turns professional

In 2018, Emma Raducanu turned professional and alternated between junior and professional tournaments.

2019: Bianca Andreescu's US Open Win

In 2019, Bianca Andreescu, former world No. 4, won the US Open. Raducanu retired in her match against Andreescu at the Italian Open in May 2022 due to a back injury.

2019: Alternating between junior and professional tournaments

In 2019, Emma Raducanu alternated between junior and professional tournaments.

2019: Competition in India and Pune Win

In 2019, Emma Raducanu competed in Maharashtra, India, where she retired in the second round of the 25k Solapur Open. She later won a 25k event in Pune in December, defeating Naiktha Bains in the final.

December 2020: LTA British Tour Masters Title

In December 2020, Emma Raducanu won the Lawn Tennis Association LTA British Tour Masters title.

2020: Fed Cup Selection

In 2020, Emma Raducanu was selected to play for the British team in the Fed Cup qualifying after Johanna Konta withdrew. She was described as "the British player with the most potential of her generation."

April 2021: Training with Nigel Sears

In April 2021, Emma Raducanu began training with coach Nigel Sears.

September 2021: Out of Top 100

Following the Madrid Open, at the conclusion of the tournament Emma Raducanu fell out of the top 100 for the first time since September 2021.

September 2021: Tiffany & Co. Ambassador

In September 2021, Emma Raducanu became an ambassador for jewellery brand Tiffany & Co.

October 2021: Dior Ambassador

In October 2021, Emma Raducanu became an ambassador for Dior.

October 2021: Coaching Changes and Indian Wells Open

In October 2021, Emma Raducanu chose not to extend her coaching arrangement with Richardson after her US Open victory. She participated in the Indian Wells Open, where Jeremy Bates aided her, but she lost her first match. She then withdrew from the Kremlin Cup due to schedule changes.

November 2021: Sports Direct Christmas Advertisement

In November 2021, Emma Raducanu starred alongside other British sportspeople and celebrities in a Christmas advertisement for sporting goods retailer Sports Direct.

November 2021: Sportswoman of the Year

In November 2021, Emma Raducanu was named Sportswoman of the Year by the Sunday Times.

November 2021: Champions Tennis Event and COVID-19 Diagnosis

On November 28, 2021, Emma Raducanu participated in an exhibition match at the Champions Tennis event in the Royal Albert Hall, winning against Elena-Gabriela Ruse. She was later scheduled to play Bencic at the Mubadala Championship but withdrew after testing positive for COVID-19.

December 2021: British Airways and Evian partnership

In December 2021, Emma Raducanu signed with British Airways and French bottled water brand Evian.

December 2021: Awards and Honors

In December 2021, Emma Raducanu won Sportswoman of the Year and the Peter Wilson Trophy and was voted the WTA Newcomer of the Year. She was also named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year on 19 December 2021.

2021: US Open Victory

At the US Open in 2021, Emma Raducanu defeated Ena Shibahara in the first round, securing her first victory at the event since winning the title in 2021. She then overcame Janice Tjen to reach the third round before losing to Elena Rybakina.

2021: Camila Giorgi's Canadian Open Win

In 2021, Camila Giorgi won the Canadian Open. In August 2022, Raducanu debuted at the Canadian Open where she was defeated by Camila Giorgi in the first round.

2021: First WTA Tour Victory and Coaching Change

In 2021, Emma Raducanu achieved her first WTA Tour victory at the Transylvania Open, defeating Polona Hercog, before losing in the quarterfinals. Her last event of 2021 was the Linz Open, where she lost in the round of 16. She then hired Torben Beltz as her permanent coach.

2021: Academic Studies

In 2021, Emma Raducanu devoted time to her academic studies, preparing for her A-Level examinations.

2021: Wimbledon and US Open Breakthrough

In 2021, Emma Raducanu made her mark at Wimbledon with a wildcard entry, reaching the fourth round. Later that year, at the US Open, she achieved a historic win as the first qualifier in the Open era to win a singles major title, defeating Leylah Fernandez without dropping a set.

2021: Playing Style and Strengths

In 2021, Raducanu's playing style was noted for her strong forehand, consistent ball toss, accurate serve positioning, and return of serve.

January 2022: Australian Open Debut

In January 2022, Emma Raducanu made her Australian Open debut as the 17th seed, defeating Sloane Stephens in the first round but losing to Danka Kovinić in the second round due to a blister on her racquet hand.

January 2022: Stalking Incident

On 28 January 2022, Amrit Magar was found guilty of stalking Emma Raducanu at her home, causing her to feel unsafe.

February 2022: Stalker Sentenced

On 23 February 2022, Amrit Magar, who was found guilty of stalking Emma Raducanu, was sentenced to community service and given a five-year restraining order.

February 2022: Career-High Singles Ranking

On February 14, 2022, Emma Raducanu climbed to a new career-high singles ranking of 12.

March 2022: Vodafone and Porsche partnership

In March 2022, Emma Raducanu became an ambassador for British telecommunications firm Vodafone and German automobile manufacturer Porsche.

March 2022: Sports Star of the Year

In March 2022, Emma Raducanu was named Sports Star of the Year at the Stylist's Remarkable Women Awards 2022.

April 2022: Laureus World Sports Award

In April 2022, Emma Raducanu won the Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year award.

June 2022: HSBC Deal

In June 2022, Emma Raducanu signed a four-year deal with British multinational bank HSBC.

June 2022: Estimated Net Worth

In June 2022, Emma Raducanu's net worth was estimated to be £12 million. She signed with sports agency IMG and was ranked the 12th-most-marketable athlete in the world by SportsPro.

July 2022: Top 10 Ranking

On July 11, 2022, Emma Raducanu reached the top 10 in the rankings.

September 2022: Return to the world's top-50

On March 31st, Emma Raducanu returned to the world's top-50 for the first time since September 2022, rising to No. 48 after her Miami Open performance.

2022: US Open Title Defense

In 2022, Emma Raducanu entered the US Open as the defending champion but lost in the first round to Alizé Cornet, causing her ranking to fall outside the top 80. She then had a second-round loss at the Slovenia Open.

2022: First Quarterfinal Since 2022

In 2022, Emma Raducanu reached her first quarterfinal since 2022 at the Stuttgart Open, after being awarded a wildcard and defeating Angelique Kerber and Linda Nosková. Consequently, she moved back into the top 250. She lost to Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinal.

2022: US Open Series and Coaching Trial

In August 2022, Emma Raducanu started the US Open Series by entering the Washington Open, reaching the quarterfinals. She also made her professional doubles debut and began a trial period with coach Dmitry Tursunov.

2022: Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

In the 2022 New Year Honours, Emma Raducanu was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her contribution to tennis.

June 2023: Partnership with AirWayz

November 2023: Withdrawal from Macau Exhibition Match

In November 2023, Emma Raducanu withdrew from a December exhibition match in Macau due to ongoing recovery from hand and foot surgeries, causing her world ranking to fall to No. 289.

December 2023: Return to tour announced

In December 2023, it was announced that Emma Raducanu would return to the tour in January 2024 after a period of absence.

2023: Indian Wells Open

During the 2023 Indian Wells Open, Emma Raducanu reached the third round for the first time since the 2023 edition of the event, beating qualifier Rebeka Masarova and 30th seed Dayana Yastremska. She lost to second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the third round.

2023: Grass-court season

During the 2023 grass-court season, Emma Raducanu reached the quarterfinals at the Queen's Club Championships in London and the third round at Wimbledon.

June 2024: Grass court season

In June 2024, Emma Raducanu began her grass-court season at the Nottingham Open where she reached the semifinals and lost against Katie Boulter. She also beat Jessica Pegula at the Eastbourne International. At Wimbledon, she beat Renata Zarazúa, Elise Mertens, and Maria Sakkari, before losing to Lulu Sun.

February 2025: Fixated Behaviour Incident

On 19 February 2025, a man exhibiting fixated behavior was spotted during Emma Raducanu's match in Dubai, causing her distress. He was removed from the stadium and banned from WTA events. On 20 February 2025, the man signed a restraining order.

April 2025: Vodafone Partnership Ends

In April 2025, Vodafone ended their partnership with Emma Raducanu after reported demands for 'too much money'.

2025: Australian Open

In 2025, Emma Raducanu's first competitive match of the year was at the Australian Open, where she defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova and Amanda Anisimova, before losing to Iga Świątek.

2025: Billie Jean King Cup finals and New Trainer

In November 2025, Emma Raducanu made her return to competitive action at the Billie Jean King Cup finals in Spain, winning against Jule Niemeier and Rebecca Marino. In December 2025, Raducanu confirmed she had started working with fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura ahead of the 2025 season.