Emma Raducanu opens up about her relationship with her mother Renee Zhai and why they are best friends
Emma Raducanu recently opened about the close bond she shares with her mother, Renee Zhai. She revealed that her mother is her best friend and her “pillar” of support.
Raducanu had missed most of the 2023 season because of multiple injuries and three surgeries — one on her right ankle and on both her wrists that she had to undergo. These setbacks caused her to miss most of the tournaments last year.Raducanu made her comeback to the court at the 2024 ASB Classic where she lost in the second round to eventual runner-up Elina Svitolina. Her performances at the Grand Slam events, saw her reach the second round at the Australian Open before falling to Wang Yafan. She withdrew from the French Open and then reached the fourth round at Wimbledon before being bested by Lulu Sun. She also competed at the US Open where she lost in the first round to Sofia Kenin.
The former World No. 10’s best performance this season was reaching the semifinals at the Rothesay Open, with her campaign coming to an end after losing to compatriot and eventual champion Katie Boulter.Recently, while speaking to Women’s Health magazine, Emma Raducanu expressed her deep appreciation for her mother, Renee Zhai, saying:
“My mum is a big pillar of mine in all senses – professional and personal. She knows me inside out, it’s kind of freaky, so I go to her a lot. She’s my best friend.”
Emma Raducanu opens up about how her mother Renee Zhai celebrated her winning US Open 2021
In the aforementioned interview, Emma Raducanu shared the story of how her mother, Renee Zhai, celebrated her winning the 2021 US Open.
Raducanu made her way into the main draw by going through the qualifying rounds. She defeated Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 to claim her first Grand Slam title and also become the first qualifier in history to win a Grand Slam title.Talking about what happened after she returned home from her US Open win, the Brit said:
“I remember pulling up and seeing paparazzi outside my house. It was crazy, but as soon as I went inside to my family and friends, everything felt pretty relaxed. My mum had made dumplings, and we all sat around the table chatting. I didn’t want to do anything fancy or outrageous, I just wanted to enjoy and spend quality time with people I can really be myself with,” Raducanu said.
On the way to the final of the 2021 US Open, Emma Raducanu had defeated Stefanie Vogele, Zhang Shuai, Sara Sorribes Tormo, and Shelby Rogers in the first four rounds. She then went on to secure victories over Belinda Bencic and Maria Sakkari in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, before besting Leylah Fernandez in the title match.