Emma Raducanu passed another major test on Wednesday night — this time not in an exam hall, but on the Wimbledon stage. Just weeks after sitting her A-levels, the 18-year-old British wildcard produced a stunning performance to knock out former French Open finalist Marketa Vondrousova.
Raducanu, ranked 338 in the world, delivered a confident 6-2, 6-4 victory over the 22-year-old Czech, who sits almost 300 places higher in the rankings. The teenager from Bromley dominated the opening set and then showed remarkable composure to recover from a 3-0 deficit in the second, sealing a fairytale win that drew a standing ovation on Court 12.
The result sent waves of excitement through British tennis, with Sir Andy Murray joining fans in celebrating her breakthrough, tweeting his support complete with applause and fire emojis.
Despite having career prize money of under £29,000 — compared with Vondrousova’s nearly £3 million — Raducanu has long been viewed as one to watch. Her win made her the last British woman remaining in the singles draw, setting up a third-round clash with Romania’s Sorana Cirstea.
Born in Toronto to a Romanian father and Chinese mother, Raducanu moved to England at the age of two. She explained after the match that the pandemic and her studies at Newstead Wood grammar school had restricted her competitive schedule, with her last professional tournament coming back in March 2020.
She admitted it felt surreal to be competing at Wimbledon so soon after completing her maths and economics A-level exams in April, saying Covid concerns had also limited travel opportunities.
Although fully committed to her education, Raducanu made it clear that tennis is her future. She believes staying in school has helped her grow both personally and professionally, giving her balance and sharpening her ability to absorb information and think tactically on court.
She also credited her father for encouraging her to try a wide range of activities while growing up — from ballet and horse riding to tap dancing — all aimed at building confidence and a broad skill set. Childhood photos on her social media show everything from weightlifting sessions to motocross riding.
Elsewhere at Wimbledon, British No. 2 Cameron Norrie earned himself a daunting third-round meeting with Roger Federer after a straight-sets win over Australia’s Alex Bolt. His victory meant three British men reached the third round of the singles for the first time since 1999, alongside Andy Murray and Dan Evans.
Norrie described the moment as special for British tennis, while Federer acknowledged the home support, admitting he understood why the crowd might be firmly behind the rising Brit.
