While the world watched Emma Raducanu’s breathtaking rise to US Open glory, two of her biggest supporters were missing from the stands — her parents. Strict Covid-19 travel restrictions meant they were unable to fly to the United States, leaving Emma to chase history in New York without them physically by her side.
As the 18-year-old battled her way through Flushing Meadows, her mother, Renee, was more than 3,500 miles away in Bromley, south-east London. Instead of cheering courtside, she was quietly carrying out an important task at home — collecting Emma’s Kent Player of the Year award at Sundridge Park Tennis Club.
For the Raducanu family, this local honour meant just as much as the biggest trophies in world tennis. They have always remained deeply loyal to the grassroots clubs and coaches who helped shape Emma long before global fame arrived.
Renee and her husband Ian, both finance professionals, are known for their calm, grounded approach to parenting — qualities that have clearly influenced their daughter. Emma has won fans not only for her tennis brilliance but also for her composure, humility and understated sense of humour.
Emma first picked up a tennis racket at just five years old, and by six she was already making headlines locally, winning the under-8 girls’ championship at Bromley Tennis Centre. From there, she became a regular on the junior circuit, with Renee proudly supporting her progress.
A former colleague of Renee’s, Julian Guthrie, recalled being challenged to play a young Emma when she was just ten. Though confident he would win, he admits the match never happened — much to his relief. According to him, Emma’s personality today is no different from back then, describing her success as a reflection of her mother’s character: calm, principled and quietly confident.
Those who knew the family say negativity was never encouraged. Emma’s parents valued emotional control, stepping in quickly if she showed frustration as a child — a trait now visible in her unshakeable focus on court.
Emma herself has often credited her mother’s influence, particularly her inner confidence rooted in Chinese culture. She has spoken about the importance of believing in yourself without needing external validation, a mindset she deeply respects.
Renee, originally named Dong Mei Zhai, grew up in Shenyang in north-east China before moving to Canada, where she met Ian, who is Romanian. The family later settled in Bromley when Emma was two years old.
Although naturally shy, Emma was encouraged by her father to explore sport and developed talents beyond tennis, including ballet, swimming, horse riding and go-karting. She also plays table tennis at a high level during visits to China, where she trains at a professional club in Shenyang.
Emma has often spoken about the mental strength on her mother’s side of the family, describing them as incredibly resilient and hardworking. She credits this influence as a major source of her motivation.
Ian, meanwhile, is described as softly spoken and inquisitive, taking a hands-on role in Emma’s training decisions — sometimes unconventional ones that raised eyebrows among coaches. Still, Emma believes her parents’ academic backgrounds and tough upbringings shaped her strong work ethic.
Education has always been a priority. Emma achieved an A* in maths and an A in economics at A-level and remains in touch with her former teachers. Despite her global success, she even returned to her primary school for sports day, where staff said she remains as grounded and determined as ever.
Meanwhile, one of the earliest believers in Emma’s talent, former LTA scout Simon Dahdi, shared a memorable story from Wimbledon. Now working as a train driver, he found himself unable to follow Emma’s match live and resorted to asking passengers for score updates over the station intercom. When he finally heard she’d won, he was overjoyed.
Dahdi, who first spotted Emma’s potential when she was just eight years old, said he never doubted she was destined for greatness.
From local courts in Bromley to centre stage in New York, Emma Raducanu’s journey has been shaped by quiet support, unwavering belief and a family that stayed firmly grounded — even from thousands of miles away.
How Emma Raducanu’s mother picked up her trophy for Kent Player of the Year from 3,500 miles away as she stormed to US Open glory in New York because…
