Emma Raducanu sees her Cincinnati showdown vs. Serena Williams as a “great gift.”
Reigning US Open champion Raducanu will face 23-time major winner Williams in a blockbuster match on Tuesday night at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.
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The 40-year-old Williams announced she will retire after this month’s US Open. British No. 1 Raducanu said she’s pumped to play four-time Olympic gold-medal champion for the first—and likely last—time.
“I think it’s gonna be an exciting match,” Raducanu told the media in Cincinnati. “I’m looking forward to it. It’s an amazing opportunity to play probably the best tennis player of all time. It’s probably going to be my last opportunity to ever play her.
“I think that, for our careers to have crossed over, I think I’m really fortunate that I get to play her. Whatever happens, I think it’s gonna be a really good experience for me and something that I will remember for the rest of my life.”
Raducanu said she aims to enjoy the opportunity of facing the iconic champion rather than focus on the result.
“Expectations, I don’t really know, I don’t really care,” Raducanu said. “I just want to go out there and, one, enjoy the match that I’m going to play whenever I do play it.
“It’s a great gift to play the best on her way out from the sport. So I’m just looking forward to that.”
Photo credit: Citi Open Facebook
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