Who are Emma Raducanu’s parents and does she have any siblings are the questions that have likely been on many tennis enthusiasts’ minds since the British number one kicked off her campaign at the US Open.
Following in the footsteps of the great Virginia Wade, Emma Raducanu was catapulted from talented tennis player to the ranks of sporting superstardom when she won the US Open last year. Her impressive victory saw Emma become the first British woman to win the US Open since Virginia in 1968. She even caught the attention of The Firm and had a “pinch-me” moment thanks to the Queen.
Now she’s back to defend her title and many in the UK will want to know how they can watch the 19-year-old's return to Flushing Meadows. This year with the home crowd behind her and one Grand Slam victory to her name, Emma will no doubt be hoping to reach the Ladies Singles finals.
And whilst fans might know where Emma Raducanu is from and more about her tennis journey, when it comes to her family life there are many things some might be aware of.
Here we reveal who Emma Raducanu’s parents are and whether she has any siblings also cheering her on as Wimbledon 2022 continues…
Who are Emma Raducanu’s parents?
Emma Raducanu’s parents Ian and Renee are understood to work in the finance industry and live in Bromley in south-east London, where they moved from Canada when Emma was two years old. Ian is of Romanian descent and Renee is Chinese and Emma told British Vogue last year about how her parents have influenced her approach to life and competition.
“I think the confidence comes from just inner belief,” she explained at the time. “My mum comes from a Chinese background, they have very good self-belief. It’s not necessarily about telling everyone how good you are, but it’s about believing it within yourself. I really respect that about the culture.”
And it seems when it came to her childhood, there was no end of sporting hobbies to keep Emma engaged. She shared that Renee, whom she described as “more traditional”, took her to ballet and tap dancing lessons. Whilst Ian introduced her to her future career focus - tennis - as well as dirt biking, golf and motorsports.
Emma disclosed that her father is “all about being different” and “not caring what other people may have thought at the time.”
Though when it comes to the opinions the tennis star cares about the most, Emma admitted that it’s her parents that she always wants to impress. And this is something that she confessed isn’t always easy, revealing that Ian and Renee have “high expectations” for their famous daughter.
“They’re very tough to please and have high expectations,” she told the publication. “So that’s a big driving factor as to why I want to perform.”
Emma went on to describe Ian and Renee’s role in her life as being to “keep [her] grounded” despite the glittering world of sporting fame and fortune she’s found herself in since winning the US Open last year. And it’s something she believes they’ve done a “really great job” of doing as she expressed her belief that she didn’t “feel like anything [was] different”.
“I was straight back to work. And I think that’s a result of many years of them just being super-focused, and not getting too high, but at the same time, not getting too low when the losses come,” she continued before revealing that all she needed after her final Wimbledon match last year was them saying, “I’m proud of you.”
Due to Covid-19 restrictions at the time, Ian and Renee sadly weren’t able to watch Emma achieve her historic US Open victory in person last year. Instead, they watched it from their home, as revealed by the Daily Mail, she told reporters afterwards that they were “very proud” of her.
“I speak to my parents, we don't really talk so much about tennis but they just really want to know how I am in these moments and, you know, to not have them here with me, I would have loved them to be here and we can all celebrate together or they could be with me and experience the same things but you know, they're watching from home very proud,” she shared. “My Dad said to me 'you're even better than your dad thought' so that was reassuring. My Dad's definitely very tough to please but I managed to today.”
Proud in turn of her parents, Emma Raducanu has celebrated her heritage not only through interview insights, but in her Twitter bio, which reads "london|toronto|shenyang|bucharest". Born in Toronto, Canada, before her parents moved with her to the UK, it’s clear that all four places are incredibly important to her and her sense of identity.
This year her mum Renee has already been spotted cheering her on from the stands as Emma returns to Wimbledon. So far in the competition she has made her Centre Court debut and won her first round match against Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium comfortably in straight sets. Next Emma Raducanu will take on Caroline Garcia of France in the second round, also on Centre Court.
Does Emma Raducanu have any siblings?
With the likes of Andy Murray and his brother Jamie Murray and Serena and Venus Williams, it’s perhaps no surprise that many people might be wondering whether Emma Raducanu has any siblings. However, Emma has never discussed brothers or sisters and instead it’s understood that she is an only child. Though whilst she might have grown up in a relatively small family unit, her extended family members are also a major part of the sporting star’s life.
According to Express.co.uk, she has previously opened up about visiting her grandmother in Bucharest, Romania during an interview at Wimbledon last year.
"My grandma, Mamiya, still lives in central Bucharest,” she reportedly explained. “I go back a couple times a year, stay with her, see her. It's really nice. I love the food, to be honest. I mean, the food is unbelievable. And my grandma's cooking is also something special. I do have ties to Bucharest.”
How old is Emma Raducanu?
Emma Raducanu might now have won Sports Personality of the Year 2021, the US Open and become the first British woman to reach a Grand Slam final in 44 years, but she’s still relatively new to the professional tennis world at 19 years old. Emma was born on 13th November 2002 and will celebrate her 20th birthday just a few months after the US Open this year.
Wimbledon 2021 was Emma’s first experience of playing at a Grand Slam championship at just 18. Now a year older and with even more experience, Emma Raducanu's parents and fans alike will be keeping their fingers crossed that she reaches the final this year.
