British tennis superstar, Emma Raducanu has become the youngest female recipient of an MBE following her incredible US Open victory at Flushing Meadows in September.
The then 18-year-old had burst onto the scene with a magnificent performance in the final, as she defeated Canadian – and fellow teenager – Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 to become champion at just 18 years old.
Three months from her record-breaking win, Raducanu was recognised as she won the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award, seeing off the likes of Tom Daley and Tyson Fury.
She also made even more sporting history, as she became the first female athlete to win the prize since Zara Phillips in 2006.
However, the accolades for her historic breakthrough campaign have not stopped, as she will now begin 2022 by being awarded an MBE alongside some sport’s biggest names.
Alongside Raducanu, 78 Olympians and Paralympians have been recognized for their efforts to sport and are also included on the list, including married couple Jason and Laura Kenny who will receive a knighthood and damehood respectively.
Emma Raducanu was born on November 13 2002. She is a British professional tennis player. She reached a career-high ranking of No. 19 by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and is the current British No. 1.
Raducanu is the reigning US Open champion, and the first British woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since Virginia Wade in the 1977 Wimbledon Championships.
Emma Raducanu is considered a baseline player known for her powerful, flat groundstrokes and aggressive return of serve.
Raducanu was born in Toronto and raised in London. She made her WTA Tour debut in June 2021. With a wildcard entry at Wimbledon, ranked outside the top 300, she reached the fourth round in her first major tournament.
At the US Open two months later, Raducanu became the first singles qualifier in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam title, beating Leylah Fernandez in the final.
She won three rounds of qualifying matches and seven matches in the tournament, without losing a set. This was the second Grand Slam tournament of her career; she holds the record for the fewest majors played before winning a title.
In December 2021, Emma Raducanu was voted BBC Sports Personality of the year.
