The nervous excitement that engulfed Wimbledon for Emma Raducanu’s fourth-round match last year made Court No 1 feel like a cramped elevator. A five-set marathon in the men’s draw meant it wasn’t until 8pm that the 18-year-old, who’d captivated the nation’s imagination, finally stepped out onto court. The noise was percussive, crashing off the closed roof and reverberating throughout a small crowd yearning to witness a moment in history.
It feels almost insignificant compared to what she’s achieved since, but Raducanu’s remarkable run back then could have defied the most conniving fortune teller. She had played her first WTA match just a few weeks earlier, losing in the first round in Nottingham against compatriot Harriet Dart. There had been hesitation around whether it was even wise to hand her a wildcard place at all and Raducanu’s opening match against qualifier Vitalia Diatchenko was held back until the third day and barely drew a crowd on Court 18. When she took the second set to love, there were inquisitive murmurs about her confidence and tenacity and the lack of any gaping weaknesses in her game, but most focus drifted towards her impending A-Level results rather than the prospect of any meaningful progress.
