Despite a 2022 season well below her expectations, Britain’s Emma Raducanu (20) was made a member of the British Empire on Tuesday by King Charles III.
Winner of a Grand Slam tournament at not even 19 years old, Emma Raducanu breathed new life into British women’s tennis, which had a hard time existing alongside men’s tennis, led by Andy Murray, Cameron Norrie or Dan Evans. The player who was born in Canada in November 2002 but arrived in England aged 2 won the US Open last year, but it was only on Tuesday that she was awarded the Kingdom’s highest honor , by being made a member of the British Empire (the equivalent of the Legion of Honor in France). Emma Raducanu was presented with the Little Red Ribbon by King Charles III at Windsor Castle for “services to tennis”. ” It was great to receive this honor today from His Majesty the King – I am extremely grateful “, reacted the tenniswoman on her page instagram. Also present at the ceremony to also receive her “MBE”, MP Nia Griffith was full of praise for the young player: “I think it’s fantastic to see a young person achieve the success that she had and I think obviously now she faces this incredibly difficult challenge of dealing with that success and also dealing with disappointment. And I certainly think it’s wonderful to see young people being praised and rewarded and let’s make sure we give every young person the opportunities so that they can fully develop their talents. »
Three Grand Slam wins for Raducanu
Paradoxically, Emma Raducanu received the accolade as she emerges from a 2022 season that has failed to live up to the huge expectations placed on her since her New York triumph, and has at times been mocked for signing more endorsement deals than winning. wins on the WTA Tour. Beaten in the second round of the Australian Open, she played her first quarter-final in April on the ground of Stuttgart, then was beaten again in the second round in Grand Slam, at Roland-Garros and at Wimbledon. She returned to quarterbacks in Washington in August, and when starting the defense of her title in New York, she fell from the start against Alizé Cornet, registering only six games. In Seoul in September, Emma Raducanu took the opportunity to play her only semi-final of the year, but she was forced to retire. In the end, she started 2022 by being 18th in the world to end the season 75th.
