In a candid interview with Women’s Health on October 10, Emma Raducanu reflected on the sacrifices she made growing up, balancing her education with her intense commitment to tennis.
The British tennis sensation admitted feeling “envy” when she couldn’t attend parties, though she emphasized that since she had never experienced such events, it was easier to accept their absence.
“There were certain moments where I felt envy – like when there were parties that I couldn’t go to, but at the end of the day, I didn’t know any different. You don’t miss what you don’t know. I knew I wanted to be the best and I knew what I needed to do to get there, so I didn’t think of it as a sacrifice,” she explained.
Raducanu, who attended Newstead Wood School, a selective girls’ grammar school in London, said both tennis and academics demanded her full focus.
“Newstead is pretty demanding, so it wasn’t like I could take it easy off the court, either. I put all my time into tennis or school, but it was good to have those two different worlds: school and tennis. Each was a break from the other,” she added.
The 21-year-old, born in Toronto on November 13, 2002, began playing tennis at five and moved to the UK when she was two. Raducanu’s historic rise culminated in 2021, when she became the first British woman in over five decades to win a Grand Slam singles title, triumphing at the US Open as a qualifier. Her victory earned her an MBE in 2022, recognizing her contribution to British sports.
Raducanu also credited her parents for their unwavering support and for keeping her grounded. Reflecting on her upbringing, she revealed that much of her childhood was spent alone while her parents worked. Nonetheless, she appreciated their sacrifices.
“My parents are really good at keeping me on the ground… just plugging away a day at a time, not getting too high with the wins or too low with the losses,” she shared in an earlier interview with PEOPLE.
Despite missing out on some social experiences, Raducanu’s story underscores the dedication and discipline that propelled her to early success on the international tennis stage.
