Emma Raducanu will begin her 2022 Wimbledon campaign against Alison Van Uytvanck in a couple of hours but the Brit has won the hearts of tennis fans even before that.
The reigning US Open champion showed up to practice in a white t-shirt featuring Rafael Nadal's iconic 'Raging Bull' logo, sending users on social media into a frenzy. This is not the first time Raducanu has worn apparel with the 22-time Grand Slam champion's logo on it, as she previously wore a hat with the same during the Miami Open earlier this year.
Since both athletes are sponsored by Nike, it is feasible for the teenager to add items with the Mallorcan's signature logo to her ensemble without any apparent conflict of interest.
Nadal's fans on Twitter were quick to express their love for the World No. 11, remarking that it gave them one more reason to love her. Others hoped that the t-shirt would bring her good luck at Wimbledon, something she sorely needs considering her lacklustre season so far.
Her shirt?? another reason to stan this girl," one fan tweeted.
"Emma is a Nadal fan? Hope she wins Wimbledon," another user posted.
"Emma bestie, i knew you had taste!!" one account wrote.
"Emma has also fallen under the spell of Rafa Nadal," another fan tweeted.
Emma Raducanu to meet Alison Van Uytvanck for the first time in her WTA career at Wimbledon
The first-round meeting at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships will mark the first time Emma Raducanu will face off against Alison Van Uytvanck on the WTA Tour. Although the Belgian has had a good year so far and Raducanu's continued injury concerns have thrown a cloud of doubt over her chances at the tournament, the Brit remains the favorite to make it into the second round.
A victory on Monday would pit the World No. 11 against either Caroline Garcia or Yuriko Lily Miyazaki in the second round. Potential match-ups with 33rd seed Zhang Shuai in the third round and seventh seed Danielle Collins in the fourth round await the teenager down the road, assuming she can repeat her run from last year.
The reigning US Open champion is expected to cross swords with third seed Ons Jabeur in the quarterfinals, while second seed Anett Kontaveit is the highest-ranked opponent from the bottom half of the draw for the semifinal encounter. If Emma Raducanu can get that far, top seed Iga Swiatek is favored to be her opponent in the final.
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