"I walked away from Wimbledon, I never experienced anything like it, I just let all the emotions go like crazy" - Emma Raducanu
Emma Raducanu emerged into the spotlight with a strong run at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, where she felt overwhelmed by the occasion.
The Brit also admitted to the pressure of expectations soon after winning the 2021 US Open as an 18-year-old. The teenage tennis sensation felt that she was expected to win every tournament she played in after that incredible US Open campaign.
In a recent interview with Nike, the 19-year-old spoke about her life-changing journey that began at Wimbledon and culminated in the US Open title.
"I walked away from Wimbledon. I never experienced anything like it, I just let all the emotions go like crazy. I took that straight into training and then the US Open happened," Raducanu said in the video, shot in London.
"After winning the US Open, everyone just expected me to win every single tournament I was ever going to play again. I think its a bit unrealistic because perfection just doesn't exist," she said.
Emma Raducanu's 2021 US Open campaign was near-perfect in many ways. She won her maiden Grand Slam title as a qualifier, becoming the first person to do so. The British player admitted that while she actively chased perfection as a kid, she is now "working on letting go" of the need to be perfect at all times.
"I'm working on letting go. Letting go of being perfect at all times and being afraid to look bad in front of myself," said Raducanu.
During a shoot with Nike, Raducanu took a trip down memory lane as she visited the tennis court where she first learned how to play the sport. She further reflected on her obsession with being perfect during those days as he often found herself agitated at missing the target even by an inch during her practice sessions.
Raducanu then drove through the city streets, highlighting the need to switch off from the game every now and then, and taking the time to relax. The teenager said that she cherishes the time she gets with loved ones and friends in Bromley, where she grew up, and particularly at her grandmother's house in China.
"I think that's (China) probably the place where I disconnect from the world the most. I actually really like those moments of escape. Nothing else really matters. You're just that person there in the moment," continued Raducanu.
"I could do something that not many 9-year-old girls at the time could do" - Emma Raducanu on her passion for motocross and karting
Tennis is not the only sport Emma Raducanu excels at. Since the age of nine, the British superstar has also indulged herself in motocross and karting, two other sporting activities she really enjoys.
"From a young age, I did motocross and karting, and I could do something that not many 9-year-old girls at the time could do," Raducanu said.
"I just really like the thrill, I kind of chase that. I think regardless of the sport, you have to react and adapt. Be on your toes and take risks," she added.
Raducanu further expressed her desire to "connect the Emma that I want to be and the Emma that I am right now." If she can do that, she can be "really dangerous" on the tennis court, believes the 19-year-old.
On the tennis front, Emma Raducanu recently suffered a "freak injury" ahead of Wimbledon, retiring midway through her first match at the Nottingham Open.
Raducanu has withdrawn from the Birmingham Classic this week, but is expected to be fit in time for Wimbledon.