"I think there were like 12 people watching but I got like stage fright; looking back I am like wow you have also developed pretty much" - Emma Raducanu revisits her WTA debut last year

Emma Raducanu revisited an interview she did last year while preparing for her WTA debut. The 2021 US Open champion was an unheralded youngster the previous year, but she captured the world's attention when she won her first Grand Slam.

She was the first qualifier ever to reach a Major final, much less win it. The British tennis player has become a sensation at home and is in action at Wimbledon after recovering just in time from a side strain she suffered at the Nottingham Open.

Emma Raducanu reacted to an interview she gave exactly a year ago for the LTA and spoke about her first WTA tournament and suffering from stage fright.

"I played on the centre court here and it's like the biggest court I have played on until then. I think there were like 12 people watching but I got like stage fright, and it's also funny to sort of see how much I have changed because I have played like in front of a much bigger stadium before and you know, now looking back I am like wow you have also developed pretty much," Raducanu said.

The British tennis star also felt she could learn a few lessons from her older self in how she had a "positive motivational outlook."

"I think its more of a lesson like this is more of lesson for me in 2022 because you know I would have taken this 100%, all of these experiences I have had kept this sort of positive motivational outlook and it's good for me this," she added.

Emma Raducanu wins her first-round match at Wimbledon to progress to the second round.

Emma Raducanu plays a forehand in her first-round match at Wimbledon

Emma Raducanu was in action on the first day of Wimbledon and faced Alison van Uytvanck in the opening round.

The reigning US Open champion had a rough start but was finally able to win the match 6-4, 6-4. The 10th seed was vociferously supported by the home crowd and expressed great joy at playing in front of fans.

"I'm extremely pleased to have come through that match and looking forward to hopefully playing in front of you guys again," she said in her on-court interview. I've been feeling it [crowd support] ever since I stepped on to the practice courts, people behind me going, 'Emma, you've got this'. And I'm like, 'Yeah, I've got this.' I'm just so happy to stay another day."