What is Emma Raducanu's connection to Asia? All you need to know as Brit battles on at Korea Open 2024

Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu once opened up about her motivations and some of the biggest drivers for her mental strength as a professional athlete. She was born in Toronto, Canada, to Ian and Renee Raducanu. Ian is Romanian, while Renee is Chinese. They moved to England when Emma Raducanu was just two.

Having this diverse background motivates her to learn from their distinct histories. Talking to BBC Radio 4 in 2023, she said:

"It's not necessarily about telling everyone how good you are but believing it within yourself. I respect that about the culture... The resilience is something I’ve had since I was a child. I got that very much from my mum."

The British player became the first-ever qualifier in the sport's history to win a Grand Slam at 18 in 2021 but has struggled since with injuries and inconsistency.

Raducanu has undergone multiple surgeries on her wrist, preventing her from competing at many high-level tournaments. She had earlier talked about how her mom's side of the family in China is extremely resilient. She visited them in Shenyang in Liaoning Province during her holidays and has memories of practising tennis there.

"My mom has always instilled many qualities, like discipline and respect for others, into me. My mom's side of the family, when I go over to China, they are so mentally resilient. It's like nothing can bring them down. I would say I take a big part of my inspiration from her. My mom has worked very hard."

Talking further about how she gets through setbacks in her career, with her mother's ethnicity as the inspiration, she added:

"I take most of my inspiration from books. I read a lot. I read certain history, like Chinese history, about the different dynasties. I take inspiration from places that you wouldn’t necessarily think are obvious."

After a hard-fought first-round exit against Sofia Kenin at the US Open, Raducanu has impressed at the Korea Open in Seoul. She defeated Peyton Stearns in the Round of 32 in straight sets, 7-6, 7-6, and will next face China's Yue Yuan in the second round as she looks to end her year on a high note.

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Emma Raducanu's hard-fought win against Peyton Stearns at the Korea Open 2024

Emma Raducanu - Source: Getty

In a match that lasted 2 hours and 43 minutes, Emma Raducanu defeated Peyton Stearns to continue her run at the Korea Open. Raducanu showed great character, making this her first win since July when she beat Stearns at the Washington Open.

Raducanu raced to a 4-1 lead in the first set, but then lost four straight games before winning the set on tie-break. The next set went to a tie-breaker as well, and the Brit managed to come up trumps in the clutch moments. After her US Open exit, she was vocal about how her schedule could've been planned better. Post her match with Stearns, she said:

"It was a tough match to get through. I haven’t played many matches in the last few month. Peyton is a really good player in great form, so I’m really pleased to have made it through to the next round."

Emma Raducanu next faces the eighth seed in the competition, Yuan Yue, who was also eliminated from the US Open in the first round and will be looking to fare better in Korea.