Emma Raducanu’s 2021 US Open title showed the world that anything is possible. And for young tennis players in Britain, raised on the godlike figure of Andy Murray, it showed that mortals can win Grand Slams too.
Jack Draper was one such player. Watching Raducanu’s astonishing run at Flushing Meadows ignited a spark in him, and over the past two weeks, that spark has gone up in flames.
“What Emma did was incredibly inspiring,” said Draper, who will face world No. 1 Jannik Sinner at the US Open on Friday night in his first Grand Slam semifinal. “I’ve known her since I was a little girl and it was incredible to see what she did. I was very proud of her.