Latest news with #Vondrousova
Telegraph
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The cheerleading entourage that gave Emma Raducanu her smile back
As the sun blazed down on the Aorangi Park practice courts on Thursday afternoon, Emma Raducanu sat on a bench with her coach Mark Petchey and watched world No 1 Jannik Sinner go through his hitting session. It was an unexpected way to prepare for her date with the other world No 1, Aryna Sabalenka, on Friday evening. Asked what had prompted her interest, Raducanu replied: 'Yeah, I'm learning by osmosis. He is so effortless when he hits the ball. I have been trying to watch a bit more live [tennis]. I watched [Joao] Fonseca the other day.' Her demeanour suggested a surprisingly serene state of mind, even during this most stressful of fortnights, when the eyes of the nation are upon her. Given that Sabalenka is the only top-five seed remaining, Raducanu would surely prefer to be almost anywhere else in the draw. But at least she can swing freely on Friday, in the knowledge that few are expecting her to win. Another explanation for her sunny mood lies in the presence of her extended friendship group at this event. As she said on Wednesday night, shortly after dispatching 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova on Centre Court: 'It's so rad. I have all of them here in one place. They've been my rock through everything. They're the closest people to me outside of my family.' So who are these pals? Raducanu singled out one of them, Ben Heynold, by mentioning that she had known him since she was six. He is a one-time British junior, two years older than her, who signed up for college tennis at the University of North Carolina before joining financial-services provider The Raine Group. Their long friendship is believed to be platonic, but Raducanu inevitably attracted plenty of gossip-column inches when she celebrated her 2021 US Open title by sharing an evening in Times Square with Heynold. She has previously said: 'My parents were very much against [boyfriends] as it interfered with training. When I was younger I wasn't even allowed to hang out with my girl friends'. In the photograph that Raducanu posted on Instagram after Monday's victory over 17-year-old compatriot Mimi Xu, she is flanked by Ben's mother Laura – who has also known her since she was small – and another close friend in Carla Wilfert. 'I think it adds more significance because they never really get to come and watch me,' said Raducanu. 'We made it an annual thing. They can come to Wimbledon. It aligns with everyone's calendar. A lot of them live in America. They're friends from secondary school, childhood. One of them [Heynold] I've known since I was six years old. Then another one since I was 14. 'It's just so special. They're in the box there. When I look over to them, it just gives me an extra boost of motivation.' Although Raducanu hasn't explained how she came to meet these friends in the first place, it seems likely that her connection to Wilfert was established via Heynold – as they both attended the same American international school near Egham in Surrey. After completing her baccalaureate exams in 2020, Wilfert moved to Los Angeles, where she now works in the marketing department of entertainment conglomerate Fox. A close contemporary of 22-year-old Raducanu, Wilfert is here with her boyfriend Ryan Cohen, an employee of the medical manufacturer Boston Scientific, yet another graduate of that same school near Egham. As Raducanu explained: 'They're so busy with their work often. They studied in America, too. So to have them all here in this one week, it just makes me really happy. 'After my match, I just went outside to see them for five or 10 minutes and speak to them. And that's just an opportunity that is so rare, and you don't really get that at other tournaments, because they have lives. So I have a few friends in other cities, but to have my real core, best friends here, it means a lot.' Professional tennis can be an alienating carousel of hotels and departure lounges. On Tuesday, defeated third seed Alexander Zverev described himself as feeling 'very lonely' in a moving press conference. Which is why Raducanu finds this supporting cast of real-life friends – as opposed to the colleagues-cum-rivals you find in the locker-room – to be such a boon. Crucially, their relationships date back to before that watershed moment in September 2021. As Raducanu said in a recent interview: 'The last few years, it's been very difficult for me to trust new people, especially those who have not necessarily known me from the years before the US Open. I just find myself gravitating towards those people now who I've known, and I'd say my circle is smaller than ever.' The same pattern applies to her professional recruitment. Take last year's coach Nick Cavaday, who ran her junior tennis programme in Orpington. Or Cavaday's recent replacement Petchey, who spent several weeks working with her in the summer of 2020. Or Jane O'Donoghue, the mentor who used to be a national coach for the Lawn Tennis Association. 'I was so sheltered,' Raducanu has said. 'Up to 18, I was just with my parents, they helped me with everything, like nothing could touch me. All of a sudden, after that, everyone came and I got burnt quite a lot of times, whether that's professionally or personally. Now I'm just like very Fort Knox with who I let in.' It's easy to see how a woman of Raducanu's profile could become suspicious, paranoid even. Which is why the presence of her US-based squad of cheerleaders is so valuable. With their support, she feels as though she starts each game at 15-0.
Dubai Eye
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Dubai Eye
Raducanu back to her carefree best as she knocks out Vondrousova
When Emma Raducanu hurtled across the baseline to whip an eye-popping passing shot winner at Wimbledon on Wednesday, it signalled that she was once again capable of delivering the kind of potent shots that carried her to the 2021 US Open title. That sizzler, one of 18 winners Raducanu conjured up during her second-round 6-3 6-3 destruction of 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, not only earned the British hope her first break of the match but it also had a hollering Centre Court crowd leaping to their feet. As fans and pundits hailed her electrifying performance, Raducanu admitted: "That was one of the best matches I've played in a long time. "There's no better feeling than winning here at Wimbledon, winning on Centre Court. It honestly makes everything worth it. You forget about everything, all the up and downs, mainly the downs, when you're out there and you win. I just want to savour that one and enjoy it (because) it was really special." Billed as a battle between two one-hit wonders, Raducanu and her Czech rival both had a point to prove when they walked on to Centre Court for the match. Their career paths have followed a similar roller-coaster of a trajectory -- while Raducanu became the first qualifier in the professional era to win a Grand Slam singles title when she triumphed at Flushing Meadows in 2021, Vondrousova became the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon in 2023. RANKINGS FREEFALL Twelve months after experiencing the buzz of their incredible victories, both suffered humbling first-round exits when they turned up to defend their Grand Slam titles, with injuries contributing to their downfall. Cue a rankings freefall, with both plummeting outside the top 150 and, until 10 days ago, neither had won a title since their Grand Slam triumphs. While both were unseeded, Vondrousova would have fancied her chances of knocking out Britain's big hope. After all, the 26-year-old had arrived at the All England Club fresh from winning the grasscourt title in Berlin, with victories over Australian Open champion Madison Keys and world number one Aryna Sabalenka en route. However, it was 22-year-old Raducanu whose game sparkled on Centre Court as she produced the kind of carefree, yet formidable, shots that helped her to triumph at Flushing Meadows almost four years ago. "Today I played really, really well," summed up world number 40 Raducanu, whose reward for reaching the third round is a showdown with Sabalenka. "Playing Marketa, I knew it was going to be very challenging. She's won Wimbledon. She's in amazing form right now having won Berlin. I'm just very proud of how I went out there and competed and kept committing and came through that one." Her commitment to chase after everything, even when she seemed out of the running to win the point, paid off time and time again. The incredible backhand passing shot winner that she curled back into the court, despite almost running into the crowd, gave her the break for a 4-2 lead in the first set. Although a sloppy service game gave 73rd-ranked Vondrousova the break back in the next game, the British number one wasted little time in regaining the advantage for a 5-3 lead after a forehand error from the Czech. Moments later thundering roars from the Centre Court crowd could be heard around the All England Club, and beyond, as Vondrousova surrendered the set with yet another miscued forehand. Clearly unsettled, the errors started piling up for Vondrousova, who had previously admitted that she did not envy the "crazy pressure" Raducanu had to deal with day-in and day-out after becoming the first British woman to win a major in 44 years. Yet another forehand slapped long by Vondrousova handed Raducanu a break for 2-1 and from then on there was no stopping the Briton. She sealed a place in the third round after her opponent swiped a backhand wide. "She was playing amazing tennis. She was crushing me in the rallies, so there wasn't much I could do," said Vondrousova.
Rhyl Journal
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Emma Raducanu swats aside 2023 champion to set up clash with world number one
It will be a daunting task for the British number one but she can take great encouragement from her performance here, with Vondrousova not just the 2023 winner but also a player in hot form after beating Sabalenka and Madison Keys to win the warm-up title in Berlin. Raducanu had good memories from a second-round win against the same player here in her breakthrough run four years ago, and this proved just as comfortable, the 22-year-old easing to a 6-3 6-3 win. That was something special from @EmmaRaducanu 😍 Through to the third round at @Wimbledon! — LTA (@the_LTA) July 2, 2025 'I think today I played really, really well,' said Raducanu. 'There were some points I have no idea how I turned around. 'I knew playing Marketa it was going to be an extremely difficult match. She's won this tournament and it's a huge, huge achievement. I'm so happy with how I focused and put my game on the court. 'I'm just so happy I get to play another match here. (Sabalenka) is number one in the world, so dominant, has won literally everything. I'm just so happy how I performed. I guess there's no pressure at all on me.' Vondrousova lost in the first round 12 months ago as defending champion but she was hampered by a shoulder problem, for which she subsequently underwent surgery. Pain in the same shoulder left the Czech wondering whether she would even make it back to SW19 this year but instead she arrived as a player all the big names would have been looking to avoid after her brilliant run in Berlin. That brought Vondrousova her first title at any level since her shock triumph here, while she could also take confidence from having beaten Raducanu in Abu Dhabi in February. The British number one strode out on to Centre Court for the first time since losing to another left-handed player, Lulu Sun, in the fourth round 12 months ago. She came through a potentially awkward first-round encounter against 17-year-old Mimi Xu on Monday in confident fashion and immediately set about trying to make her opponent uncomfortable. Raducanu mixed up her tactics, varying pace and angles, and drew first blood, drilling a backhand pass down the line to break for 4-2. She immediately dropped serve but Vondrousova threw in two double faults to give Raducanu a helping hand to a third break in succession, and this time the home favourite found the serving she needed to clinch the opening set. It was a tactically astute set from Raducanu, and she continued in the same vein in the second, breaking the Vondrousova serve again to lead 2-1. The Czech was left looking in her box in frustration at some of the patterns of play from Raducanu, who defended well but did not miss a chance to step in, especially on her backhand. The only disappointment was that the 22-year-old could not force a second break earlier but she held her serve impressively and clinched a fuss-free victory on her first match point when Vondrousova sent a backhand wide.
Business Recorder
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Business Recorder
Raducanu back to her carefree best as she knocks out Vondrousova
LONDON: When Emma Raducanu hurtled across the baseline to whip an eye-popping passing shot winner at Wimbledon on Wednesday, it signalled that she was once again capable of delivering the kind of potent shots that carried her to the 2021 U.S. Open title. That sizzler, one of 18 winners Raducanu conjured up during her second-round 6-3 6-3 destruction of 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, not only earned the British hope her first break of the match but it also had a hollering Centre Court crowd leaping to their feet. As fans and pundits hailed her electrifying performance, Raducanu admitted: 'That was one of the best matches I've played in a long time. 'There's no better feeling than winning here at Wimbledon, winning on Centre Court. It honestly makes everything worth it. You forget about everything, all the up and downs, mainly the downs, when you're out there and you win. I just want to savour that one and enjoy it (because) it was really special.' Billed as a battle between two one-hit wonders, Raducanu and her Czech rival both had a point to prove when they walked on to Centre Court for the match. Their career paths have followed a similar roller-coaster of a trajectory – while Raducanu became the first qualifier in the professional era to win a Grand Slam singles title when she triumphed at Flushing Meadows in 2021, Vondrousova became the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon in 2023. Ranking freefall Twelve months after experiencing the buzz of their incredible victories, both suffered humbling first-round exits when they turned up to defend their Grand Slam titles, with injuries contributing to their downfall. Cue a rankings freefall, with both plummeting outside the top 150 and, until 10 days ago, neither had won a title since their Grand Slam triumphs. While both were unseeded, Vondrousova would have fancied her chances of knocking out Britain's big hope. After all, the 26-year-old had arrived at the All England Club fresh from winning the grasscourt title in Berlin, with victories over Australian Open champion Madison Keys and world number one Aryna Sabalenka en route. However, it was 22-year-old Raducanu whose game sparkled on Centre Court as she produced the kind of carefree, yet formidable, shots that helped her to triumph at Flushing Meadows almost four years ago. 'Today I played really, really well,' summed up world number 40 Raducanu, whose reward for reaching the third round is a showdown with Sabalenka. 'Playing Marketa, I knew it was going to be very challenging. She's won Wimbledon. She's in amazing form right now having won Berlin. I'm just very proud of how I went out there and competed and kept committing and came through that one.' Her commitment to chase after everything, even when she seemed out of the running to win the point, paid off time and time again. The incredible backhand passing shot winner that she curled back into the court, despite almost running into the crowd, gave her the break for a 4-2 lead in the first set. Although a sloppy service game gave 73rd-ranked Vondrousova the break back in the next game, the British number one wasted little time in regaining the advantage for a 5-3 lead after a forehand error from the Czech. Moments later thundering roars from the Centre Court crowd could be heard around the All England Club, and beyond, as Vondrousova surrendered the set with yet another miscued forehand. Clearly unsettled, the errors started piling up for Vondrousova, who had previously admitted that she did not envy the 'crazy pressure' Raducanu had to deal with day-in and day-out after becoming the first British woman to win a major in 44 years. Yet another forehand slapped long by Vondrousova handed Raducanu a break for 2-1 and from then on there was no stopping the Briton. She sealed a place in the third round after her opponent swiped a backhand wide. 'She was playing amazing tennis. She was crushing me in the rallies, so there wasn't much I could do,' said Vondrousova.
The Standard
03-07-2025
- Sport
- The Standard
Raducanu back to her carefree best as she knocks out Vondrousova at Wimbledon
Britain's Emma Raducanu celebrates winning her second round match against Czech Republic's Marketa Vondrousova. (Reuters)
