‘Elated’ Emma Raducanu has a two-word message for fans after her first-ever win against a top-10 player

Emma Raducanu is picking up momentum just before Wimbledon.

‘Elated’ Emma Raducanu has a two-word message for fans after her first-ever win against a top-10 player

Emma Raducanu Eastbourne (via Imago)

Emma Raducanu achieved her first victory against a top-ten player with a brave comeback in Eastbourne. She defeated second seed and world No. 5 Jessica Pegula after trailing by a set and a break.

The former top 10 player was ecstatic after securing a thrilling win. After the match, Raducanu wrote an optimistic two-word message to the fans on the camera.

New start.
Emma Raducanu wrote it on the camera after her win.

Raducanu even saved a match point in the second-set tie-break with a stunning forehand winner. The match lasted 2 hours and 44 minutes and ended with a score of 4-6, 7-6(6), 7-5.

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This victory added to the success of fellow British players Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart at the event. With these wins, three Britons have reached the quarter-finals. This is only the second time this has happened since the Eastbourne event began in 1974. The last occurrence was in 1978, with Virginia Wade, Anne Hobbs, and Michelle Tyler making it to the quarter-finals.

Emma Raducanu among many notable WTA stars to be handed Wimbledon wildcard

Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, and Caroline Wozniacki have been granted wildcards for Wimbledon 2024. However, Simona Halep, the 2019 winner, did not receive one. Halep’s absence from the wildcard list is notable because former champions usually receive wildcards. Her recent return from a doping ban might have influenced the decision.

Emma Raducanu Wimbledon
Emma Raducanu Wimbledon (via Imago)

Wildcards are given to players who are not ranked high enough for automatic entry, typically outside the world’s top 100. These are often awarded to local players or those with a special connection to the tournament. This year, all eight men’s singles wildcards are given to British players. On the women’s side, Osaka, Kerber, and Wozniacki with Ajla Tomljanovic were the only non-British players to receive wildcards.

Emma Raducanu, the US Open champion from three years ago, is among the British players given a wildcard. She is making a comeback after struggling with wrist and ankle injuries. Osaka, a four-time major champion, is returning to the tour after maternity leave, which has placed her outside the top 100. Wozniacki, who retired in 2020, returned in 2023, while Kerber, the 2018 Wimbledon winner, is also back after her maternity leave.

The qualifying and doubles wildcards have mostly gone to British players as well. The only exception is American Clervie Ngounoue, the reigning girls’ champion, who received a wildcard for qualifying. British youngsters like Hannah Klugman and Mika Stojsavljevic, both 15, have been tipped as future stars and will aim to progress through qualifying into the main draw.

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