© Getty Images Sport – Graham Denholm
Emma Raducanu enjoyed very much visiting her mother’s hometown of Shenyang and spending some time in China while working on her tennis return. Raducanu, 20, has a mixed background as her father Ian is from Romania while her mother Renee is from Shenyang.
Before the pandemic, Raducanu used to visit China yearly. This year, Raducanu made her first visit to China in four years. “I really love it here in China. I would spend three weeks here every summer since before I can remember and to be back here feels so comforting,” Raducanu told Porsche.
In Shenyang, Raducanu feels like at home and she enjoys everything the city has to offer. “Shenyang, my mom’s hometown, to visit most of my family, and re-immerse myself in the culture. We especially pride ourselves with the food in Shenyang.
It is one of the best and is something that I have grown up with and love,” Raducanu said.
Raducanu grew up idolizing Li Na
Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, had a Chinese tennis idol as she grew up watching former two-time Grand Slam champion Li. “A big inspiration was Li Na growing up, I liked looking up to her resilient mentality and athletic footwork,” Raducanu said.
Meanwhile, Raducanu is working on preparing to return to tennis. In May, Raducanu had surgeries on both wrists and her left ankle. Raducanu has returned to gym work and practicing and she is certainly hoping to soon be able to play again.
In the same interview with Porsche, Raducanu also explained why she would recommend tennis to girls and women. “Tennis is great to play for hand eye coordination, fitness (beats most sports for cardio because of the change of directions), a great social skill and builds character and discipline,” Raducanu explained. It remains to be seen when will Raducanu play again.
