Emma Raducanu gets a penguin in London aquarium named after her
Emma Raducanu has enjoyed an overwhelming amount of attention ever since she won the US Open earlier this month. Her triumph was historic for several reasons and especially so for the British, who had to wait 44 long years to welcome a women's Grand Slam champion home.
Raducanu has become a phenomenon of sorts in the UK, receiving a massive amount of public acclaim from all corners of the country. From gaining two million followers on Instagram to getting congratulated by Queen Elizabeth herself, the 18-year-old has already attained the status of a mega celebrity.
While fans and supporters have expressed their admiration for Emma Raducanu in a variety of ways, a certain aquarium in London arguably takes the cake. The 'Sea Life London Acquarium' recently announced that they have named one of their 'Gentoo' penguins after the US Open champion.
Catherine Pritchard, the aquarium’s general manager, said it was a "celebratory moment" for the aquarium since they had wanted to name their two female penguins after women who had made a difference.
"Now the sex of the penguin chicks has been established it is a celebratory moment for the aquarium," Pritchard said. "We wanted to name our new females after two standout women of the past 18 months."
Penguin named after Bromley's tennis star Emma Raducanu newsshopper.co.uk/news/19600009.…
Emma Raducanu shares the honor with another ground-breaking British woman, Dame Sarah Gilbert, who led the development of the COVID-19 vaccine in the UK. The two aquatic birds have therefore been named "Raducanu" and "Gilbert".
Catherine Pritchard added that naming the penguin chicks after the two women was an apt way to recognize and cherish their achievements.
"We felt it a fitting tribute to commemorate their successes and mark their moments in time by naming our penguin chicks after them," Pritchard said.
Emma Raducanu herself seemed delighted by the aquarium's decision, as evidenced by the fact that she posted the news on her Instagram stories with the caption "well this has made my day".
Emma Raducanu confirmed for Kremlin Cup
With the tennis calendar nearing its business end, Emma Raducanu will be aiming to finish her season on a high. The Brit's US Open victory has propelled her to career-high ranking of No. 22 in the world, and she can better that even further in her upcoming tournaments.
Raducanu is currently on the qualifying list of the rescheduled WTA 1000 event in Indian Wells, which begins on 6 October. She was unable to make the main draw by virtue of her ranking - which was beyond the world's top 100 when the tournament finalized its main-draw entry list (before the New York Major) - but is expected to receive a main-draw wildcard for the event.
The 18-year-old also recently confirmed her participation at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, Russia. This will be the first time since 2017 that the tournament will host a Major champion.