London: Emma Raducanu is finally all smiles again at Wimbledon after the former US Open champion rediscovered the fun factor that made her the golden girl of British tennis before a stunning fall from grace. Raducanu routed ninth seed Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-3 in the Wimbledon third round on Friday to reach the last 16 at a Grand slam for the first time in three years. Coming hot on the heels of her emphatic victory against world number 33 Elise Mertens in the second round, Raducanu's Centre Court dismissal of Sakkari was a welcome sign she is back to her best.
The 21-year-old admitted she is in love with tennis again after struggling to deal with the aftermath of her incredible rise to fame. She went from an unknown schoolgirl to the talk of tennis in two transformative weeks in New York in 2021. Aged just 18 at the time, Raducanu's fairytale US Open triumph made her the first British woman to lift a Grand Slam singles trophy since Virginia Wade at Wimbledon in 1977.
She was also the first qualifier in the Open Era to win a major singles title. She left Manhattan with the world at her feet, but the problems that have dogged her since provide a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of sudden celebrity. Raducanu's form quickly faltered, leading to accusations that she was more concerned by exploiting her success with marketing deals than focusing on tennis.
"When I won I was extremely naive. You have to be on guard because there are a lot of sharks out there. I have been burnt a few.