"I was soaking it all in, trying to enjoy the moment" - Emma Raducanu on getting her US Open 4r win at Arthur Ashe Stadium
The Emma Raducanu phenomenon shows no signs of stopping. All of 18, Raducanu beat home hope Shelby Rogers 6-2, 6-1 on Monday to become just the third qualifier in history to make the quarterfinals at the US Open.
The Brit squandered an early break in the match, but then reeled off 11 straight games to dispatch Rogers in just over an hour. Raducanu, who is yet to drop a set in this tournament, will crack the top 100 of the rankings next week by virtue of her terrific run thus far.
Significantly, Emma Raducanu was given the opportunity to play at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday. In her post-match press conference, she mentioned how she was "soaking in" the atmosphere once she stepped onto the court, and that she didn't expect herself to be playing on Ashe this early in her career.
"It did feel different going out there with a crowd, all of the lights, displays on the board. It did take some adjusting," Raducanu said. "I was just soaking it all in. I was really trying to enjoy the moment. It's something that you kind of dream of, to play on Ashe, the biggest court in the world. So soon I really didn't expect to be here. I just really wanted to be in the present and take it all in."
Raducanu further commented on her form and the fact that all her matches so far at Flushing Meadows so far have ended in straight sets. She emphasized that scorelines are "irrelevant" since the games have been very tight, but added that she is feeling confident with the way she is playing.
"I think the scorelines are quite irrelevant because the matches and the games, a lot are going to deuce," the 18-year-old said. "Those long games, like, one can win them, but it's such a tight match. It's very difficult to call."
"I'm feeling very confident and happy with how I'm performing out here in the States," she added. "I feel like I'm building with each match. I'm really excited to see what I can do on Wednesday."
Awaiting her in the quarterfinals is Tokyo Olympics gold medalist and 11th seed Belinda Bencic. The Swiss made the last four at the US Open two years ago, so she has experience of playing on such a stage.
Raducanu claimed that although her next match would be a difficult one, she was feeling confident after having played several matches this past week.
"I know Belinda. She has a lot of experience on the tour. She's in great form, having won Olympic gold," Raducanu said. "I'm also feeling good about my game, also confident with the amount of matches I've played. I feel like I'm building with each one. It will be an extremely difficult match. I know if I'm going to have a chance, I'm going to have to play some really good tennis."
"My parents actually ghosted me after the match" - Emma Raducanu
Emma Raducanu, who finished school earlier this year, was asked in her presser if she receives messages from her school friends or other people her age. She replied that she gets quite a lot of messages from her friends, and that it feels nice to still be in contact with them.
Raducanu further acknowledged the continued support she has been receiving since Wimbledon 2021, where she reached the Round of 16 on her debut run. She also joked about her parents 'ghosting' her after the match, which is a word used to describe ignoring someone despite receiving their messages.
"I've got quite a lot of messages from my school friends," Raducanu said. "It's really nice that we're still in contact even though we've left. I mean, it was quite a short time ago."
"My parents actually ghosted me after the match. I texted them, but they didn't reply even though they were online. Yeah, that meant something," she laughed. "But yeah, it's just been such a supportive reaction and atmosphere after Wimbledon and here. I'm just feeling really, really happy. I think that's really showing in my game on court."