Emma Raducanu’s remarkable journey can inspire participation boom for tennis
Gavin Sutcliffe, who works in Yorkshire as part of his role as Participation Development Partner for the LTA North Region, believes the 18-year-old’s stunning achievement in becoming the first qualifier to reach a Grand Slam final can be a huge moment for participation in tennis.
“This is a good news story for tennis because it transcends the sport,” said Sutcliffe, in the wake of Raducanu’s crushing semi-final win over Maria Sakkari at Flushing Meadows in New York.
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Hide Ad“We’re always trying to create interest in tennis beyond the two weeks of Wimbledon and Raducanu is helping us do that.
“Usually in the height of summer we’re battling the Euros, the Olympics and other sporting events, but right now Emma is dominating the news cycle and that’s fantastic.”
Tennis has already experienced an upturn in participation since the first coronavirus lockdown, and the portents are strong that Raducanu’s rise can precipitate a further increase.
“Since last March we’ve seen an eight per cent increase in people picking up a racket and playing tennis on an outdoor court,” said Sutcliffe.
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Hide Ad“Unfortunately the same can’t be said for indoor because of greater restrictions, but for outdoor tennis we have seen the positive numbers from last year continuing into this. And this could be just the beginning for Emma. She’s a marketable star, an approachable person and she will appeal to a lot of young people.”
Raducanu is the first British woman to reach the final at Flushing Meadows since Virginia Wade won the title 53 years ago.
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