Where is Emma Raducanu from and when did she move to England?

As the US Open 2022 kicks off, all eyes are on Emma Raducanu...

It's safe to say that it's been quite the year for English tennis ace Emma Raducanu. The 19-year-old made global headlines in September 2021 after winning The US Open - her first grand slam. She's now back on the courts in the Australian Open - and many will want to know how they can watch the tennis star. 

A first-class tennis player (currently World No.11), fluent in several languages and boasting an incredible set of A level results, it seems that the world really is Miss Raducanu's oyster. We delve into her childhood and background to give you the inside story of this rising star.

Where is Emma Raducanu from?

Emma Raducanu was born in Toronto, Canada on November 13, 2002. However, she grew up in England, being raised by Romanian father Ian and Chinese mother Renee. The family reside in Bromley, south east London.

Emma was just five-years-old when she first picked up a racket and started playing at the Bromley Tennis Centre. Though this wasn't her only extra-school activity - with Emma also taking up ballet, horse-riding, swimming and go-karting as a child.

In an interview with Vogue, Emma shared that it was her dad who inspired some of her childhood hobbies. “He’s all about being different and not caring what other people may have thought at the time,” she said.

Tennis became a more serious vacation during her teenage years. It was aged 13 that she won her first ITF junior title - coincidentally the first she was allowed to compete in. In 2018, she also made the quarter final in the juniors French Open.

When did Emma Raducanu move to England?

Emma Raducanu moved to England in 2004, when she was just 2-years-old. Whilst her family home remains in Bromley, England, Emma lists her bases as "london|toronto|shenyang|bucharest" on her Twitter account.

Shenyang in China is where her mother was born, whilst Bucharest, Romania is her father's birthplace. It's understood that Emma has family over ther who she visits when she can.

With a promising tennis career, there's no doubt that Emma is on the road a lot. Despite this, Emma revealed in an interview with Harper's Bazaar, that there's certain comforts that make her think of home:

"I think one food that reminds me of home is probably my mom or grandma or aunt's homemade dumplings because I just have such fond memories of like crowding around the kitchen table with my grandma and family and just enjoying dumplings, sharing stories," she said. "Yeah I think that's probably my favourite place on earth."

Emma also admitted that she always appreciates a home crowd. Returning to play the Rothesay Open in Nottingham earlier in June, she said: "There's nothing like playing at home, so it should be a really fun season."

What school did Emma Raducanu go to?

Emma Raducanu went to Newstead Wood School in Orpington, south-east London, graduating in Summer 2021. Other famous alumni include British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith and actress Gemma Chan.

Emma juggled her education whilst competing and working towards her tennis career. In a chat with Harper's Bazaar she revealed that she only recently thought about turning professional in the sport. But wanted to keep studying just in case:

"I kept my education up all the way until finishing my A-levels. So maybe mid GCSEs, I was like maybe I won't go to college, I'm going to try and be a professional tennis player see how it works. And I always had my education to fall back on," she said.

According to the Express, Emma's former headteacher Mr Alan Blount said she was a model student, calling her "focused and hardworking".

Staff and students at Newstead Wood School were all tweeting their support for Emma during her US Open victory. And though no longer a student, her former school still continues to cheers her online today.

Emma Raducanu A level results

Emma received an A* in Maths and an A in her Economics A-levels. The Newstead Wood student sat her exams before her professional Wimbledon debut in June 2021, going on to receive her results in August last year.

It's no surprises that had she not made it in tennis she would have put her A-Levels into good use. Asked what other job she'd do if not a tennis player, she replied: "I'd say something in the finance industry".

"I've always had a keen interest in that and that would probably be my dream job if I wasn't a tennis player because I like numbers, math and also travelling which you have in finance as well," she told Bazaar.

As for GCSE results - according to the Mirror, Emma received three 9s and four 8s further demonstrating her academic ability.

Does Emma Raducanu have a boyfriend?

Emma Raducanu is believed to be single, having never publicly shared details of a romantic partner. However, recent media reports have suggested she might be seeing French MotoGP biker Fabio Quartararo.

The two sport stars follow each other on Instagram and have publicly liked and commented on each other's posts. The Express reports that Fabio commented on one of Emma's posts with a lobster emoji - "leaving fans to query whether he might have been 'fishing' for her attention".

Emma is also a fan of motor racing, so there's definitely some shared interets. She told Vogue last September that she tried her hand at the sport during her childhood.

"When I was younger, I was the only girl in my group karting or doing motocross, and I thought it was pretty cool," she said. "For example, one time, my motocross teacher was like, right, we’re going to do press-ups. I was the only one who could do it, so I was proud of myself for that."

Whilst the romance rumour mill is alive and well, neither Emma nor Fabio have confirmed that they are dating.

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