Emma Raducanu Gets 1st Win on Andy Murray Arena at Queen’s, Says the Scot ‘Is Such an Inspiration to All of Us’
Emma Raducanu breezed past Cristina Bucsa 6-1, 6-2 in her opening round of the Queen’s Club Championships. The match on Tuesday (June 10) was her first victory at the newly-named Andy Murray Arena.
The Andy Murray Arena was unveiled on June 9. Following her win, Raducanu was asked during the on-court interview about playing on a court named after the three-time Grand Slam champion.
It’s incredibly special, I saw the arena. It’s amazing what Andy has achieved here, and in general, his career with Wimbledon. He’s such an inspiration to all of us. To see him open up this court was immense yesterday. For us girls to have a tournament here finally, after watching the men play on TV, is really nice.
Last year, Raducanu was scheduled to play mixed doubles at Wimbledon with Murray but she withdrew from the match to focus on singles. She reached the fourth round where qualifier Lulu Sun knocked her out.
Raducanu has never progressed beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon. Last year on the grass swing, Raducanu lost to compatriot Katie Boulter in the Nottingham Open semifinals, and to Daria Kasatkina in the Eastbourne International quarterfinals before losing to Sun in London.
This season, Raducanu produced her best performance when she reached the quarterfinals of the Miami Open. It was the first time she was able to win four consecutive matches since her fairytale run at the 2021 US Open. The Brit also made it to the fourth round of the Madrid Open where eventual runner-up Coco Gauff ended her run.
At the French Open, the 22-year-old was defeated by four-time Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek in the second round. In the ongoing Queen’s Club Championships, the Brit will next lock horns with Rebecca Sramkova whom she will be meeting for the first time in her career.
Andy Murray is open to coaching return after split with Novak Djokovic
Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic ended their coaching partnership just before the French Open. About four months after Murray’s retirement at the Paris Olympics, Djokovic asked him to join his team. The Serb had announced it last November and the former rivals worked together at this year’s Australian Open for the first time.