The British tennis star, 19, is the frontrunner for the ‘Sports Personality of the Year’ award this evening. She is up against diver Tom Daley, boxer Tyson Fury, swimmer Adam Peaty, footballer Raheem Sterling and Paralympic cyclist Dame Sarah Storey. Raducanu sealed her place in the history books in September as she won the US Open at Flushing Meadows in New York, becoming the first British woman to win the tournament since Virginia Wade in 1968.
The victory over Leylah Fernandez bagged her a maiden Grand Slam title, ending the UK’s 44-year wait for a female champion in one of the sport’s top four competitions.
Following the teen’s historic triumph, she went on a whirlwind tour of the Big Apple, appearing at the star-studded Met Gala and the New York Stock Exchange.
The US Open Champion gave countless interviews and also became a global ambassador for Dior.
However, long before her successes on court, Raducanu admitted her parents had “high expectations” for her and “not just in tennis”.
The sportswoman opened up about her upbringing by her Chinese father and Romanian mother in an interview last year.
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She was quoted by local news site Daily UK News as saying: “My parents definitely have high expectations.
“In anything, not even just tennis. I have to be the best, do the best I can.
“When I was younger it was to please them, but now it’s great for me to do it on my own – that’s where I think I see the best results: when it’s me driving it.”
Before her US Open victory, Raducanu lit up Wimbledon this year before withdrawing in the fourth round after she had “difficulty breathing”.
During her impressive run at SW19, the rising star was still awaiting her A-level exam results.
Raducanu spoke further about her parents’ impact on her game and other aspects of her life as she spoke to Vogue in September ahead of the US Open final.
The young Briton said that even after her big wins her mother and father had helped keep her “grounded”.
She said: “I think they’ve done a really great job.
“Because I don’t feel like anything is different, in a way. I was straight back to work.
“And I think that’s a result of many years of them just being super-focused, and not getting too high, but at the same time, not getting too low when the losses come.”
‘Sports Personality of the Year’ is broadcast on BBC One from 6:45pm-9pm this evening.
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