Emma Raducanu opens up about pushy parents and strict upbringing

Emma Raducanu, the one-time US Open champion, recently shared insights into her challenging route to professional tennis, revealing how her parents’ strict approach influenced her career and personal life. Raducanu’s candid reflections shed light on the pressures and sacrifices she faced from a young age.

Born in Toronto, Canada, to a Romanian father and a Chinese mother, Raducanu moved to the UK at the age of two. She first stepped onto a tennis court at the age of five, initially without enthusiasm. “At the start, my dad forced me into tennis,” she told The Times. “I didn’t like it, but then as I got older and tennis became more of a priority, I was pushing myself.”

Raducanu described her parents as “pushy,” especially during her younger years. “They are so pushy. When I was younger, more so. Now they are at a place where they tell me what they think is best, but they realize ultimately that the more they push, the more I am going to resist,” she explained. Despite the resentment this created at times, Raducanu acknowledged that her parents’ strictness played a role in her success. “I’ve seen some great people who I was playing with in the juniors who had way more lenient parents who were like, ‘It’s OK if you lost,’ and those players don’t play tennis anymore, so I don’t blame my parents for it.”

Her demanding training schedule left little room for social activities, including relationships. “My parents were very much against [boyfriends] as it interfered with training. When I was younger, I wasn’t even allowed to hang out with my girlfriends. A lot of the time I was very resentful. But it made me very confident and comfortable in my own company, which is also a big strength,” Raducanu shared.

At 18, Raducanu made headlines by reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon as a wildcard. She then made history as the first qualifier in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam title at the US Open in Flushing Meadows. Despite this meteoric rise, Raducanu has faced challenges, including a string of underwhelming results and an eight-month injury hiatus following wrist and ankle surgeries.

Earlier this season, she showed promise with strong performances at Indian Wells and in Stuttgart. However, a disappointing first-round exit at the Madrid Open affected her confidence. The 21-year-old has not played competitively in almost a month and has decided to skip qualifying for the French Open to focus on preparing for the grass-court season.

Emma Raducanu’s journey underscores the complex dynamics between parental influence and personal determination in the pursuit of excellence in sports.