Tennis - Wimbledon 2024 - Emma Raducanu : "Ça m'a pris 10 secondes pour dire oui à Andy Murray !"
Emma Raducanu va vivre un rêve à Wimbledon. Dans le tableau double mixte de Wimbledon, Andy Murray et la jeune joueuse ont reçu une wild-card et partageront donc le court. Un sacré duo qui aura l'occasion de briller à la maison. La Britannique va savourer ce moment avec son idole. Murray pourra faire durer le plaisir, lui qui jouera également en double messieurs avec son frère Jamie. Pour rappel, opéré d'un kyste au dos il y a 10 jours, le double vainqueur de Wimbledon avait été obligé de se retirer en simple. En conférence de presse, après sa victoire au 2e tour en simple contre Elise Mertens, 6-1, 6-2, Raducanu a évoqué cette association avec son modèle.
Vidéo : @Wimbledon
Vidéo : @Wimbledon
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00:00Yeah, I'm super pleased with that performance. I just had so much fun on the court to be
00:08honest. I absolutely loved playing on court one and I felt the atmosphere was amazing
00:15with the crowd and yeah, I really fed off of it and played some really good stuff.
00:20Hi Emma, Ash from QualityShop. Firstly, well done on your win today. Yeah, you spoke a
00:27lot about, you know, the home support and the fact there was a lot of noise being generated
00:31on that court with the roof on. So my question is, do you prefer having the roof on or the
00:35roof off?
00:37I prefer having the roof on probably because I think the sound is just amplified and it's
00:44yeah, it's like a concert hall. It's really, really nice to play in an amazing environment
00:49and it's just a lot louder. I think everything, the ball even sounds different when you hit
00:53it. But at the end of the day, it's an outdoor event. But yeah, my preference is probably
00:59when it's like that.
01:00James?
01:01Emma, you mentioned how much you enjoy number one courts. I guess the last time you were
01:05there was Tom Janovich. I don't know whether you've hit on there since then maybe, but
01:11for some people that might be a bit of a scarring experience for the last time you've been there
01:15to be like a match you've retired from.
01:17Yeah, I didn't even think of that. I just thought now I'm reminded. But I think when
01:24I think of court one, I just think of that amazing win against Sorana. I think that was,
01:29you know, my first coming out into tennis society, if you would like to call it. But
01:36I just have such amazing memories from that court. And I think that match in particular
01:42was the first time playing on a court that size. The crowd, the environment, you know,
01:47the feeling of adjusting at the start to just playing on a court that big. So I only have
01:52good memories from that court.
01:54Agatha?
01:55Just to say it's really good to see all the support that you've had today from the British
01:59crowd. And also noticed that Romain Bakken was here to support you, like Ronny O'Sullivan
02:04was for Novak Djokovic. I just wondered what it was like to have him around as well.
02:09Yeah, I mean, I think he's, yeah, he's really cool. His dad is, you know, someone that I
02:15think every athlete looks up to, especially every British athlete. You know, what he's
02:22kind of gone through with the media, with his career, with the pressure moments. And
02:27having David in my first round at the front was, he was there from the start at first
02:32point, even when the crowd was pretty empty. So I have utmost respect for him. And I think
02:38he's just amazing for British sport in general.
02:41Russell?
02:42Emma, how long did it take for you to decide to accept Andy Murray's offer to play mixed
02:48doubles here?
02:51I got asked literally like 10 seconds. I was like, yeah. Like I, it's for me a once in
03:00a lifetime opportunity. I think some things are bigger than just tennis. I think some
03:04things are a once in a lifetime memory that you're going to have for the rest of your
03:08life, you know, to play at Wimbledon with Andy Murray. It's, you know, those things
03:12don't come by. And I think, you know, at the end of my life, at the end of my career, when
03:18I'm like 70 years old, I know I'm going to have that memory of playing, you know, Wimbledon
03:23with Andy Murray on our home slam. For me, it was an honour to be asked.
03:30Ellen?
03:31Emma, you play Maria Zachary next. Obviously, the last time you played her was a pretty
03:37big occasion. I just wonder what are your memories of that? And can you take anything
03:42from that match into the next one?
03:44Yeah, I think it was in the semis of the US Open. I think, you know, the circumstances
03:50are different, like in a third round compared to a semi-final. I think, you know, at the
03:56time, the dynamics were also different. You know, I was an unknown player pretty much.
04:02So I think that I'm expecting a really tough match. You know, she's top in the world, I
04:07don't know, top 10 or something. So it's going to be a really difficult one. But again, one
04:13where I'm the complete underdog and I can just enjoy playing in my home crowd, home
04:18slam. And yeah, I just keep having fun and trying to stay an extra day.
04:22Katherine?
04:23Hi, Emma. There seemed a real freedom about your tennis today, the way you were playing
04:29out there. Marketa Vondroshova was in here yesterday talking about the freedom that she
04:34had playing here a year ago and how she's been trying to find that again over the last
04:3912 months. Has that been a quest for you as well, to try and find the freedom in your
04:44tennis again? And do you feel like that's something that you have re-found?
04:49I think it's a really difficult challenge. I don't think it's something that clicks overnight
04:54and all of a sudden you have the freedom. I think it's a process that you have to give
04:58and take. Sometimes you feel like you're taking a few steps forward and then you take a step
05:02back. And I think that's normal with any progress. It's never really plain sailing through. I
05:07think certain matches this year I've played with a lot more freedom and then others I've
05:11been more tentative or, you know, more passive. And I think as long as I'm trending in the
05:18right trajectory, then I'm happy and moving forward.
05:21Sean Lindell-Guardian, do you ever think about the parallels between what happened three
05:26years ago in here, the fact the draw opened up in New York, you played Zachary, and could
05:31it perhaps, you know, those sort of positive emotions from them perhaps help you in the
05:35next 10 days or so?
05:38I think, you know, I forgot which press conference, but I saw Rafa come in and, you know, the
05:44journalists were asking, oh, what if, what if, but what ifs don't exist. And I think
05:49you have to just take every moment as it comes and deal with the circumstances because it's
05:54very easy to get caught up in, yeah, parallels or things that have happened in the past.
06:02But no situation is the same and dynamics are always changing. So I think for me, I'm
06:06just trying to stay focused on what I can do today, taking care of, you know, every
06:10minute in my day and, yeah, letting the rest flow.
06:14Jo?
06:15Emma, you characterise your round one match as winning ugly like the England football
06:19team. How would you characterise your performance against the Leeds Mertens?
06:24I'd say I enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun. And I think that when my character shows through
06:32my tennis is when I play my best. So, yeah, I'm really pleased with that. And honestly,
06:38like me following Carlos, it was pretty cool to watch him play because he has the same
06:43sort of demeanour and just enjoyment of the sport. So, yeah, it's just good to follow
06:47and watch.
06:48Simon?
06:49Hey, Emma. Just going to the mixed doubles again with Andy, on court you said it's been
06:57a dream since watching the Olympics. Was that 2012? Can you just expand a little bit on
07:01your memories of that?
07:03Yeah, I think, well, since you really had an understanding that there was a mixed doubles
07:08event at Wimbledon, it's always been something that I've obviously wanted to do. And then
07:15seeing him win silver here with Laura, it was, yeah, it was just, I was so far away
07:21from it at that time. It was like a far away dream. And I think that the decision was for
07:28sure made as well for that kid who was like dreaming of this moment. So, I think it's
07:33important to not lose sight of that and not let go of those feelings as a kid or why you
07:38started playing sport, why you want to play on these big courts. And, yeah, it's just
07:43a real honour and I'm just really excited.
07:45Emma, you could tell how dialed in you were in every department today. Would you be tempted
07:55to describe that as possibly your most complete individual display since everything changed
08:01for you in New York?
08:04I think I played very well, but I don't think it was my best match since US Open. I think
08:10I've played a few matches that I was personally probably happier with. But, of course, today
08:18I'm very pleased with, again, how I handle situations. It's, I mean, it's always a lot
08:22of fun, but it's never easy stepping out onto a massive court and, yeah, playing in front
08:28of the home crowd. It's not straightforward. So, I think the way that I handled that and,
08:33you know, the first game going love 30 and then regrouping and, you know, finding a good
08:37rhythm. I'm very pleased with that, but I wouldn't say it was my best performance.
08:42Are you going to try and vote before you practice tomorrow? And will you also keep an eye on
08:46the general election in the evening?
08:49No, I think I'll have a lie-in and then I'll come to practice. I didn't even know it was
08:56tomorrow, to be honest. So, thanks for letting me know.
08:59What's your hope for Andy's experience in the remainder of this Wimbledon in the two
09:05forms of doubles that he'll be playing and also the crowd reception?
09:11I think I want, obviously, to do well with him. You know, I'm not playing to kind of
09:20lose and I really don't want to let him down. Of course, that's the one thing that I don't
09:24want to do. So, yeah, I'm going to be on my best form, trying hard, probably be more
09:30nervous for that than the singles. But I think, yeah, I just wish him the best. I think
09:35Wimbledon is Andy Murray and Andy Murray is Wimbledon. So, yeah, I just want to see him
09:40do well.
09:42Further questions? OK, we'll take a quick one.
09:47So, you're playing Zhang Shuai in the mixed double, that Chinese player, obviously. When
09:55she had an interview today, learning that she's going to play you in the mixed double,
09:59she said, and I quote, you speak incredibly adorable Chinese. That's literally what she
10:05said. So, is it possible you can say something in Chinese to reply to that, in a way?
10:16I just don't know. I can't believe I'm playing her, to be honest. Like, she's been so helpful
10:39to me.
10:41Thank you very much.
10:42Thank you.
10:46Thank you.