The Entire Tennis World is Cheering for Emma Raducanu

Emma Raducanu shook up tennis with her surprise Grand Slam victory at the 2021 US Open. Since then, the British player has had to overcome injuries and even greater noise from her detractors.

Last year, Raducanu underwent three surgeries and missed all of the grass court season. Her world ranking fell to No. 289, leading many fans and media members to believe the best might be over for the 21-year-old.

However, 2024 has been a comeback year for Raducanu. Earlier today, she beat No. 5 and reigning Berlin Champion Jessica Pegula 4-6, 7-6(6), 7-5. Raducanu came from match point down for her first career top 10 win.

what 👏 a 👏 match 👏@EmmaRaducanu is victorious over the No.2 seed Pegula, picking up her first Top 10 win!#RothesayInternational pic.twitter.com/MCj7IJV5uN
— wta (@WTA) June 26, 2024

After the match, emotions overcame Raducanu. She dropped her racquet and pulled her hat over her eyes as the Eastbourne crowd gave her a standing ovation.

Raducanu told the media, "This match is one of the more meaningful ones to me. I’ve been going through some stuff. To come through it, it’s really nice."

It's the same crowd that Raducanu endeared herself to this week when she complimented them for dealing with the heat. But her fanbase extends beyond the grass courts at the Rothesay International. Everyone wants to see Raducanu return to playing at a high level.

Raducanu faces Daria Kasatkina in the quarterfinals tomorrow as she continues her grass court redemption tour. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.

Further Reading: Tennis fans got a behind-the-scenes look at how Wimbledon is prepared for tennis.