Emma Raducanu earned the win of her career yesterday, as she battled from a set down to defeat Jessica Pegula at Eastbourne.
It represented her first-ever win over a top-ten opponent, and has seen her cruise into the quarter-finals of yet another grass-court tournament.
With Wimbledon just around the corner, it seems we are finally going to go into this event with renewed hope for the British talent on display.
However, Raducanu would not let the media get away with their sudden surge in positivity after so much negativity that had come before it.
Emma Raducanu responds to criticism of British tennis players
Speaking after her historic win over Jessica Pegula, Raducanu was noticeably drained in her post-match interview, which she quickly admitted to.
After all, the youngster had given her all across a 2 hour and 44 minute slog, which in the end she came out victorious.
Perhaps it was this lack of energy which led her to aim a slight dig at her critics at the end of her speech about British tennis, as she claimed: ‘Yeah I think it’s really good, healthy competition. We all see each other progressing into the next round and we just want to join them, nobody wants to be left behind.
‘I think that is the way it should be. We should be pushing each other and I think that’s definitely the case right now in the men’s and the women’s, I mean we’re all doing really well especially on the grass.
‘I think we all come alive on this surface so I’m very pleased and it’s just a testament to how well we’ve been training and how hard we’ve been putting work in… contrary to some beliefs about us. I think we’re doing a pretty good job.’
There was some scrutiny when Emma Raducanu opted against playing for Great Britain at the Olympics, but she has since offered a valid explanation for her planned absence.
Emma Raducanu, Jack Draper and Katie Boulter carry Wimbledon hopes
Of the British players who will be flying the flag at Wimbledon next week, Raducanu will surely be a figurehead.
Her fine form on this surface at the moment makes her a tough prospect for anyone to face, and similarly few will want to have to play Katie Boulter early on in the tournament either.
The two actually squared off in the semi-finals in Birmingham just last week, and the latter would go on to win the match and the tournament, her third title on the WTA tour.
Meanwhile, on the men’s side, it only really feels like Jack Draper is capable of achieving anything of note.
But, his prospect is a promising one, as another who just won a grass-court title, his first on the ATP tour, before backing that up with a win over the world number three Carlos Alcaraz at Queen’s.
All of his powerful weapons are conducive to this surface, and so we can expect big things from these three Brits whilst also hoping for a few surprises elsewhere on home soil.
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