Emma Raducanu reveals she watched US Open final again, says she "didn't realize how stressful it was on TV compared to live"
Following a whirlwind few weeks in New York, US Open champion Emma Raducanu received a hero's welcome on her return to England. The Brit, who lifted the trophy at Flushing Meadows last Saturday, has been basking in her newfound fame and keeping herself busy by giving interviews to the media.
In a recent media interaction with the BBC, Raducanu said the magnitude of her achievement was slowly beginning to sink in. The 18-year-old also revealed that she had spent the night before the interview rewatching the epic final against fellow teenager Leylah Fernandez.
Raducanu said she was trying to "relive" some of the big moments from the match and remember the feelings she had after the win.
"Yeah, I think it's gradually becoming... sinking in a bit more," Raducanu said. "Last night I actually just rewatched the final and tried to relive a couple of the moments and remember how it felt."
Raducanu's triumph took the entire tennis community by surprise considering she was ranked outside the top 100 and had never lifted a WTA title heading into the US Open.
The Brit said she herself could barely believe some of the shots she pulled off during her run to the title. Raducanu also pointed out that she hadn't realized just how "stressful" some of the moments in the match were until she watched it back.
"Yeah, it's funny because when I was watching it, it almost feels like that's not me playing, pulling off some of those shots," Raducanu said. "It feels like someone else. I knew exactly what was going to happen, but still there were some very tense moments rewatching it.
"I was really proud of how I came through some of the tough moments," she added. "And also the timeout in the end, I didn't realise how stressful it was on TV compared to live."
"Haven't discussed my tournament schedule yet" - Emma Raducanu
Emma Raducanu's US Open triumph has seen her skyrocket 127 places to No. 23 in the world rankings. The Brit is slated to play in the qualifying rounds at Indian Wells -- the WTA 1000 event closed its entry list well before the US Open -- but she is likely to receive a wildcard if she decides to compete.
When asked about her schedule for the coming months, Raducanu said she was yet to have a discussion with her team.
Raducanu said the change in her ranking would have an impact on her selection of tournaments, but was quick to add that she needed some time off to recuperate.
"Yeah, I haven't discussed my tournament schedule yet because of the change in my ranking," Raducanu said. "The tournament options change slightly so I need to discuss, sit down and see what's next for me."
"I've had a very long and intense seven weeks, so I think I really just need some time to rest and recover. It has been very demanding physically and, just emtoionally, to withstand seven weeks on the road. I think I just need to recover and rejuvenate, and next time I'll be ready to go, whichever tournament I choose."