Emma Raducanu is back at the tournament where she created history.
The British number one wrote her name into tennis folklore when she came through qualifying to win the 2021 US Open without dropping a set.
As a result, Raducanu became the first British woman since Virginia Wade in 1977 to win a Grand Slam, and the first to triumph at Flushing Meadows since 1968.
Four years later, Raducanu has returned to New York where she will not play singles, but also mixed doubles alongside the ATP’s world number two, Carlos Alcaraz.
Emma Raducanu practices volleys ahead of playing mixed doubles at the US Open
Emma Raducanu was all smiles as she took to Arthur Ashe Stadium for a practice session on Monday.
She was filmed alternating between hitting forehands and backhands in cross-court rallies, before spending time working on a specific shot.
In a separate video, Raducanu practiced with new coach Francisco Roig, who previously worked with 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal.
He fed her balls and she worked on her volleys, a shot that will be key during her mixed doubles campaign with Alcaraz.
Raducanu was in good spirits as she appeared to be enjoying her training session and could be heard saying on court: “Getting my practice in for tomorrow.”
As she trains, her partner Alcaraz won the Cincinnati Open title on Monday and flew straight to New York ahead of commencing his mixed doubles campaign with Raducanu.
Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty ImagesWho will Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz play at the US Open?
The highly-anticipated yet controversial revamped US Open mixed doubles event commences on Monday.
In one of the opening matches, Raducanu and Alcaraz will take on the top-seeded team of Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula.
The ATP’s British number one reached the men’s singles semi-finals in 2024, while Pegula lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the women’s final last year.
Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images
This will be a difficult match for Raducanu and Alcaraz, who have little experience playing doubles compared to their counterparts, but the Spaniard is looking forward to the challenge.
“I think it’s a great thing,” Alcaraz said after winning the Cincinnati Open. “The scheduling isn’t the best, playing tomorrow [isn’t ideal], but I really like the idea of the tournament and mixed doubles. It’ll be a new experience for me, and I like that a lot.
“I’ll have a lot of fun playing with Emma, even though it’ll be tough against Draper and Pegula. I’ll try to enjoy it as much as possible and see how the court, the balls, everything feels.
“I’ll consider it really important and positive preparation, and I’ll try to give my best tomorrow, after the trip to New York. I’ll go to bed late, but I’ll try to play my best tennis to help secure the win.”