Porsche Tennis Grand Prix: Emma Raducanu - "I'll definitely be back"
It was an exciting week for Emma Raducanu in Stuttgart. Since her victory at the US Open 2021, the 19-year-old Briton has been the new shooting star in women's tennis and was also the focus of attention at her first Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. The Porsche brand ambassador not only played a strong tournament, but also had a lot of fun off center court.
by p.m
last edit: Apr 27, 2022, 03:55 pm
She completed photo and interview appointments just as routinely and skillfully as the Porsche Driving Challenge, a driving competition very popular with the players as part of the world-class tournament. The visit to the Porsche Museum was particularly enjoyable for the Porsche and motorsport fan.
Emma Raducanu had already arrived in Stuttgart after her first training session on the center court of the Porsche Arena. "I love it here. It's great to be surrounded by all the Porsche vehicles," she said, looking at the Taycan models lined up on the baseline. The jersey of the Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, which she was wearing, caused a sensation – with the number 10 of her favorite player Harry Kane. "Actually, I've never followed football that closely," she said. “But almost everyone in my team loves Spurs and tries to convince me of the club. Because of them, I'm slowly becoming a real fan."
Raducanu wins first match on clay
On the other hand, she already had a soft spot for Porsche as a child. One of her first coaches drove a 911, and whenever she came to practice in the morning before school, she admired the car and dreamed of one day driving one herself. She had plenty of opportunity to do so on the sidelines of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, and she could even have taken a Porsche home with her, because a fully electric Taycan GTS Sport Turismo was the winner's prize this year. The great interest in her person has increased significantly since her US Open victory, she said, but she is slowly getting used to it: "The more experience I gain, the better I can deal with it. If I play tournaments week after week and deal with all the media inquiries, then eventually everything becomes normal for me.
In her first WTA tournament on clay, she started with a sovereign 6:1, 6:2 against the Australian Storm Sanders. In the second round she defeated the German Tamara Korpatsch 6:0, 2:6, 6:1 and was already in the quarterfinals together with five top 10 players. There, however, the world number one and later winner Iga Swiatek was her opponent. In the end, the Pole won the hard-fought game 6:4, 6:4.
Emma Raducanu was satisfied with her clay court premiere despite losing to number 1. "As a young player, I can learn a lot on clay courts and look forward to spending more time on clay this year," she said. She thoroughly enjoyed the tournament with its great atmosphere in the Porsche Arena and is convinced: “The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is one of the best tournaments on the calendar. Center Court in the Porsche Arena is great.”
"Enjoyed warm hospitality"
There was one thing Emma Raducanu was looking forward to in Stuttgart almost as much as the matches in the Porsche Arena – a visit to the Porsche Museum. The day after she left, she made her way to Zuffenhausen in the Porsche Targa 4S and immersed herself in the exciting history of the sports car manufacturer. "It's fascinating to look around here and see all these cars up close," she said. "The development from the first to the current models is an incredible story and makes this brand so special." The tour lasted longer than planned, because she sat down with great enthusiasm in almost each of the models on display. She was particularly impressed by the Porsche 356 and the 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series Cabriolet as well as the old and new racing cars. And after it didn't work out with the winning car of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix this year, she took home a vintage Le Mans 1982 jacket as a souvenir from the museum shop.
In view of so many unforgettable impressions and the promising start to the clay court season, it was not easy for Emma Raducanu to say goodbye to Stuttgart. "I really enjoyed this week and the warm hospitality of the people here," she said. "I will definitely come back."