Raducanu sends classy message to Sabalenka after Wimbledon defeat

Irish Daily Mirror

4 days ago

Emma Raducanu's prowess on the court is unquestionable, with her commitment both on and off the court earning high praise from those close to her. The British star, who already has a US Open title under her belt at just 22, is tipped for even more Grand Slam glory in the future.
Despite her Wimbledon journey coming to an end on Friday at the hands of world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third round, confidence in Raducanu's potential to reach the zenith of tennis remains strong among the sport's top figures – Sabalenka included.
It's not just Raducanu's athletic talent that draws attention; it's also her tireless work ethic and outstanding professionalism.
Here at Mirror Sport, we delve into what some of the biggest names in tennis have said about Raducanu's performance on the court and her conduct behind the scenes.
Following Raducanu's gracious social media post after her loss to Sabalenka where she congratulated the tennis superstar on her victory, the Express reports how the Belarusian responded with warmth and spoke glowingly of the potential she sees in the young Brit to expand her major haul.
"You played incredibly good," Sabalenka replied to the 22-year-old, before the Wimbledon favourite added: "I'm sure we are going to play big matches in the future."
Sabalenka is one win away from reaching the semi-finals of the tournament for the third time of her career, but must beat Laura Siegemund on Tuesday to do so.
Whilst she's currently working alongside Jack Petchey, it was Tursunov who offered a glimpse into Raducanu's behind-the-scenes professionalism, praising the Brit's exemplary training mentality. Speaking to SportsKeeda, the coach revealed: "Honestly, I did not see or feel that there were a lot of outside things going on.
"From the time that we started, Emma just really had her nose to the ground. She was very hard-working and I did not see her skip a lot of things.
"There was no aura of diva or superstar about her and I think she has been managing that part very well. I was super impressed with her and couldn't be happier with the way she is as a professional athlete."
A friendship several years deep, Carlos Alcaraz has long been close with Raducanu with the pair set to become team-mates as they compete together in the US Open Mixed Doubles event next month.
As the world No. 2 and current French Open champion, the Spaniard would have surely had options from the WTA Tour to play alongside him but the 22-year-old cited Raducanu's influence on him as the reason he asked her to play with him.
"I'm super excited about it," the five-time Grand Slam champion said upon the announcement of the news. "I think it's going to be great. It was an amazing idea for the tournament. I was thinking that I couldn't play better if it wasn't with Emma.
"I just asked Emma if she wants to play doubles with me. Yeah, I made that special request. She took a while to respond. Not that much, not that much! But obviously she had to ask, and she had to think a little bit. But it wasn't a minute!
"I have known Emma for a really long time. I have a really good relationship with her. We are gonna enjoy it for sure. We will try to win. But obviously it's going to be really, really fun."
Having had a first-hand account of Raducanu's rise throughout the ranks into becoming a Grand Slam champion, fellow Brit Jack Draper knows exactly how much talent his compatriot has and will continue to show.
Before her clash with Sabalenka, Draper expressed full confidence in Raducanu's prowess as he said: "She has a real opportunity. I hope she goes on and does us all proud. She's definitely got the capability to do that."