She is one of the highest earning sportswomen in the world and has access to the best care retreats money can buy.
But after undergoing multiple surgeries, there was only one place where Emma Raducanu wanted to recover: her grandmother’s apartment in a communist-era gray block in Romania.
The US Open champion was desperate to see Niculina Raducanu – whom she calls ‘Mamiya’, a fond Romanian term for grandma – after undergoing surgery on her right hand in mid-May.
Niculina, 90, told the Mail how her granddaughter, a tennis star, came to stay in the modest £70,000 third-floor apartment on the outskirts of Bucharest after being released from hospital.
‘She [Emma] said she came just for me and she didn’t want to talk to anyone but me,” she said.
The US Open champion was desperate to find her grandmother after surgery on her right hand in mid-May
Niculina, 90, told the Mail how her granddaughter, a tennis star, came to stay in the modest £70,000 third-floor apartment on the outskirts of Bucharest after being released from hospital.
‘Emma didn’t even want to visit any of her friends here… She wanted to see me because I’d just had too [laser eye] surgery.’
Niculina described making Emma, 20, vegetable soup while the tennis star handled tense phone calls about her team’s future.
The pair also spent time chatting in Romanian, running errands and visiting Emma’s grandfather Constantin’s grave.
“When she came she had a splint in her arm because she couldn’t move it,” Niculina said.
“We didn’t get a chance to do much. But she wanted to visit her grandfather’s grave and we did.’
Now that they were both recovering from their respective surgeries, she said they were forced to spend most of their time indoors together.
Emma’s parents Ian and Renee were also visiting, so the four of them crammed into the small flat where Emma still has her own room.
As a child, the former British number 1 stayed in the apartment at least twice a year.
Niculina, a retired teacher, said this trip was no different and she was eager to let her granddaughter cook at home while they practiced their Romanian language.
“I was able to make her some food she wanted… She said she wanted to eat Romanian vegetable soup. We also went to the mall and got some groceries she needed for her special diet.’
Niculina said that Emma could visit an antique fair with her parents and go out for dinner in the capital.
However, she said Emma was largely busy trying to “find a solution” for her team as it will likely be several months before she can appear in court again.
“She is not allowed to play at the moment,” Niculina said. ‘I don’t know for how long. She said she can only do approvals for now.
As a child, the former British number 1 stayed in the apartment at least twice a year
“Emma was very concerned about solving her team’s future. She called a lot about that. She wanted to find the best solution for her team during her recovery.’
Emma’s visit was cut short because she had to go home to have a cast removed from one of the previous surgeries.
Just days later, she announced on social media that she was parting ways with her newest coach Sebastina Sach due to the “unfortunate circumstances.”
Emma has suffered a string of defeats and injuries since her sensational victory at Flushing Meadows in 2021.
But while her tennis has suffered, she has no shortage of endorsements and has been signed up by the likes of Tiffany, Dior, and Porsche.
She is estimated to have earned more than £22 million last year, making her the third highest-earning female athlete behind fellow tennis stars Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka.