"It's a great feeling to be home" - Emma Raducanu on returning to London after US Open victory
After spending a series of life-changing weeks in New York, US Open champion Emma Raducanu has arrived back home in London. Although the 18-year-old is scheduled to play the upcoming Indian Wells tournament in the US, for now she intends to spend some time with friends and family.
Raducanu lifted her maiden Grand Slam trophy at Flushing Meadows despite entering the tournament as a qualifier, a feat that hadn't been achieved in the sport before. She has elicited massive public interest in the wake of that stunning triumph, and also earned a huge fan following.
The immense magnitude of Emma Raducanu's achievement caught the attention of some of the biggest celebrities in the world. That includes the British monarch Queen Elizabeth, who expressed her congratulations shortly after Raducanu's win.
A message to surprise US Open champ Emma Raducanu from the Queen, who knows a changing of the guard when she sees one https://t.co/N6oSOq0Iub
Emma Raducanu attended the high-profile Met Gala event earlier this week, and got the opportunity to visit the New York Stock Exchange building on Wall Street. The daughter of currency market traders, Raducanu has a deep interest in finance and she admitted that visiting the NYSE had been on her 'bucket list'.
The Brit returned to her house in Bromley, London, on Thursday after spending more than a month in the States. Her parents were unable to travel with her to New York due to a delay in procuring their visas.
Upon arrival, Raducanu told reporters that it was nice to be back home and see her parents again.
"'It's a great feeling to be home," Raducanu said. "I've been away for seven weeks so it's nice to be back. It was nice [to hug her parents]. Nice to see them again."
When asked whether she would have a party or reunion with her friends, Raducanu replied that she had not planned anything for the time being and that would use her time to relax and recover.
"I haven't thought of anything [going forward]," she said. "I'm just enjoying it and relaxing and recovering. We will make some plans."
Earlier this week, the 18-year-old spoke to CNBC about her recovery plans and what lies ahead of her after an extraordinary time in New York.
"I have a few days’ rest and recovery, I think needed after the last seven weeks, but then I am straight back to training and hungry to get better and come back out and play some more tournaments," Emma Raducanu said.
Emma Raducanu enters qualifying in Indian Wells
Emma Raducanu has experienced a meteoric rise in her ranking post her US Open triumph, going from No. 150 in the world to No. 23. But she is still slated to enter the qualifying draw rather than the main draw at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, which begins on 6 October.
That is because the entry list for the main draw at the WTA 1000 event in Indian Wells was released well before the 2021 US Open, when Raducanu was outside the top 100. The Brit, however, is expected to receive a wildcard into the tournament's main draw.