The 18-year-old Raducanu was being hailed Sunday as the new queen of British sport — and perhaps the architect of one of the most unlikely sporting achievements of all time — by winning the U.S. Open as a qualifier.
Her 6-4, 6-3 victory over Leylah Fernandez, broadcast on free-to-air TV in Britain, was in a primetime slot on Saturday evening, allowing the nation to savor a superstar in the making.
Among them, apparently, was the British Prime Minister.
“What a sensational match! Huge congratulations to Emma Raducanu,” read a tweet from Boris Johnson’s official account. “You showed extraordinary skill, poise and guts and we are all hugely proud of you.”
The queen also sent her congratulations.
Britain Savors a New Sporting Star in Tennis Champ Raducanu https://t.co/yDeMHuNWDi
— Sunrise News (@SunriseNewsCo) September 12, 2021