Emma Raducanu donates outfit from historic US Open-winning campaign to International Tennis Hall of Fame
Emma Raducanu has memorialized her US Open triumph by donating the outfit she wore during the fortnight in New York to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Raducanu became the first British woman in 44 years to lift a Grand Slam trophy when she defeated Canada's Leylah Fernandez in the final at Flushing Meadows.
The Tennis Hall of Fame, located in Newport, USA, houses a museum exhibiting tennis memorabilia. Through archives and souvenirs, the museum's gallery traces tennis' journey from its formative years to its status as one of the world's biggest sports.
It also commemorates iconic fashion moments seen on court over the years; Rene Lacoste's 'Crocodile' blazer from the 1920s and Serena Williams' black bodysuit from the 2002 US Open are some of the items on display.
On September 27, Tennis Hall of Fame announced via their social media that Emma Raducanu had donated her 2021 US Open final outfit to their collection. The 18-year-old had donned a red Nike tank top with a binary blue skirt during her 10 matches at Flushing Meadows.
"A legendary run: preserved!," the official handle of the Tennis Hall of Fame wrote on Twitter. "The first-ever qualifier to win a major title has a place in the home of tennis history. Thank you, @EmmaRaducanu for donating your memorable #USOpen outfit to the ITHF collection!"
A legendary run: preserved ✅
The first-ever qualifier to win a major title has a place in the home of tennis history. Thank you, @EmmaRaducanu, for donating your memorable #USOpen outfit to the ITHF collection! 🙌🏆🇬🇧 https://t.co/6FAbJwd1Nz
Emma Raducanu's rise to become a global icon
Emma Raducanu has amassed a massive fan-following since her unprecedented US Open triumph. She became the first qualifier ever to win a Grand Slam title and did so without dropping a set, much to the surprise of the tennis community.
The 18-year-old recently earned an invitation to the star-studded Met Gala, where she made headlines in a stunning black and white outfit from Chanel. Her Instagram follower count has skyrocketed to two million, while her multi-ethnic background means she continues to receive interest from around the world.
Coming back to tennis, the Brit is slated to enter the qualifying draw at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, an event that was rescheduled to October 6 due to COVID-19.
Despite rising to a career-high ranking of No. 22 following her US Open victory, Raducanu has not secured a place in the main draw. That is because the tournament released its entry list well before the commencement of the New York Major, when Emma Raducanu was still ranked No. 150 in the world.
However, she is likely to be handed a wildcard into the event if she decides to participate. Raducanu also confirmed her presence at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, which is scheduled to begin on October 18.