The ‘calming influence’ of coach Andrew Richardson, her physio, agent and LTA heads of tennis have all lent support
If Emma Raducanu’s surprise run to the fourth round of Wimbledon in July was a life-changing experience, then her journey to a maiden grand slam final at the US Open has ensured that it will never be the same.
By defeating Maria Sakkari, the 17th seed, 6-1, 6-4 on Thursday, Raducanu became the first qualifier in history to reach a grand slam final. She has done so in only her fourth tour-level event since she started her full-time professional tennis career after finishing her A-levels in the summer.