Emma Raducanu explains emotions after Eastbourne victory

June 25, 2025

An emotional Emma Raducanu says she received some bad news before her victory over American Ann Li.

The British tennis ace stepped up her Wimbledon preparations with a comeback 6-7, 6-3, 6-1 victory to reach the second round of the Lexus Eastbourne Open on Tuesday.

Raducanu, 22, had a huge smile on her face when she responded to win the second set in the match.

After securing victory on her fourth match point, Raducanu dropped her racket and struggled to hold back the tears as the crowd took to their feet.

When asked about her reaction after the match, she responded: “I received some pretty bad news, so I would like to keep it personal, if that’s OK?

“But it was difficult, very emotional at the end and probably just a release of different emotions.”

Emma Raducanu feeling ‘incredible’ after injury comeback

The victory will do wonders for her confidence as she prepares to take on Australian Maya Joint in the Round of 16. She is currently the heavy favourite with Irish betting sites.

Raducanu has been struggling with a back issue since competing at Strasbourg in May, ahead of the French Open.

She was forced to take an off-court medical timeout against Zheng Qinwen at Queen’s last week, which further raised concerns over her fitness for Wimbledon.

However, providing a positive update on her back issue, she said: “I feel incredible.

“I just want to thank the crowd for getting me through some really sticky moments. It really meant a lot to me and I’m really proud of how I fought back after losing the first set.

“It was a tough match. Ann was hitting winners from all over the place and it was obviously very windy, but I’m just very happy to come through that, so thank you.

“It was up and down, but from the middle of the second set I found an extra gear, I found an extra level, and I’m really proud of how I came through that.”

Raducanu responds to Carlos Alcaraz rumours

Emma Raducanu has made light of her relationship with Carlos Alcaraz as internet rumours continue to swirl.

The duo recently announced they will be playing partners in the mixed doubles at the US Open, which starts in August.

It only further ignited rumours of a potential romance between the two tennis stars in which Raducanu took in good humour when asked by a BBC Sport journalist.

She responded: “I’m glad the internet is having fun and we’re providing some entertainment for everyone.

“We go back a long way, and I think we both started to get to know each other a lot more in 2021.

“When I had that little run at Wimbledon, I think he won in five sets in the first round or something.

“Then all through the US Open, he had a big breakout win against Stef in the third round, but I was always trying to join him in the next round because he was playing the day before me.

“Ever since then, we’ve stayed in touch. He’s done so well obviously since and has continued winning, and it’s been amazing to see. We were speaking and friends before anyone won anything.

“It is nice and I think, for all of us, we really value those connections that we had from when we were young.”