Emma Raducanu reveals plans for $3.4 million US Open prize money
US Open winner Emma Raducanu has opened up about how she feels about her newfound fame after her memorable victory over fellow teenager Leylah Fernandez.
The British 18-year-old became the first player to win a grand slam after gaining entry to the tournament through qualifiers, as well as the youngest grand slam winner since 2004, at the recent US Open.
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Raducanu has found herself in high demand after the gruelling three-week US Open run, with a last-minute invitation to last week's Met Gala in New York just the first of an array of sudden commitments.
She's been on American talk shows, attended the Met Gala, ticked off a "bucket list" item by visiting the New York Stock Exchange, and chatted to Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton - big for a huge motorsport fan.
As for top soccer coach Jurgen Klopp, who manages Premier League Liverpool, he has described her as the "talent of the century."
It's been a lot for Raducanu to take in, with the teenager admitting she's more than happy for her parents to manage her sudden windfall.
“I will just leave that to my parents. They can take that for me. I haven’t gone shopping yet," she cracked.
Raducanu's parents both work in finance - which firstly made her post-victory trip to the NYSE particularly special, but also means the $3.4 million she banked for winning the tournament is likely in the safest possible hands.
“I know that tennis is an extremely expensive sport, so it will probably go towards that," she added.
Raducanu, who has also spoken to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson over the phone, said that she slept almost the entire day after getting back home to England and that she wanted to switch off after a gruelling two months.
Emma Raducanu blown away by response after US Open win
Raducanu's life has been turned upside down since winning the U.S. Open title as an 18-year-old qualifier and, nearly a week later, she's still struggling to get to grips with what has happened.
"Sometimes, I just have random bursts where I think, 'Oh my God, I just won the US Open,' and then I go about as normal as if nothing has happened," reflected Raducanu back at her home on Friday.
Watching the final for the first time on Thursday - the day she returned to Britain after a whirlwind few days in New York - and trying to relive a few of the moments from her 6-4, 6-3 win over Canadian opponent Leylah Fernandez made it all sink in a bit more - almost.
"When I was watching it, it almost feels like that that's not me who is playing, who is pulling off some of those shots," she told the BBC.
Her win on Saturday turned her into a superstar overnight, putting her in huge demand in the United States.
Everyone wanted a piece of her, with Chanel inviting her to the Met Gala, where she joined a throbbing crowd of celebrities and fashion designers in New York. That was her highlight of the past few days, especially since she met Hamilton there.
"He is such a great inspiration," she said.
The same can now be said of the down-to-earth Raducanu, who had taken 18 months off from tennis to finish her high school education because her parents wanted her to have something to fall back on.
The message she wants to get across is: Dream big and work hard, no matter what your background is.
"Even if it's not tennis, even if it's other dreams like in school and being a doctor or anything like that - dream big and anything can happen," she told Sky Sports.
"And for tennis, I just want to get across you can be a normal kid, go to school, have all the normal things and still achieve results."
Raducanu is taking time to reconsider her schedule after jumping from No.150 to No.23 following her US Open heroics, but has indicated she will consider an appearance at the Indian Wells tournament in October.
With AAP
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