Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

'If I had stuck at it, I would’ve been pretty good,' Emma Raducanu reveals how she missed out on being a racer

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Achintya A A | Last updated 5/12/24

In a recent interview, 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu opens up about her obsession with cars and motorsport. After her New York triumph, she bagged a dream deal with Porsche and has been frequently tracked to do ad shoots and, more importantly, hit the gas on some powerful vehicles.

In an attempt to make her less introverted, her father introduced her to karting when she was just six. Her love for the extreme blossomed then, and she says she would’ve made a good motorsport driver had she not prioritized tennis over it.

I honestly think if I had stuck at it, I could have been pretty good. Raducanu to The Times UK

Adding to this, Emma Raducanu further mentions that this claim has nothing to do with her inherent talent for driving but everything to do with her determination and competitiveness.

Whatever I do I’m competitive, so I will invest hours and hours into thinking about it when I’m not actually practising. So yeah, I think whatever I would have done I would have given it a good go. It was character-building and giving me loads of skills. Karting was one thing I tried and motocross the other, but then tennis took up too much of my time. Emma Raducanu further added

The British star also credited karting and motorsports with developing her character and building the skills that eventually made her a Grand Slam champion.

Tennis and F1 – An intersection of worlds in Monaco

Monte Carlo, the capital of the small but luxurious European country of Monaco, is home to some of the most well-known athletes and personalities in the world.

The world’s best tennis players, including Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev, have chosen to reside in the seaside city for its many benefits, including but not limited to income tax.

F1 drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, and Charles Leclerc have also given into the allure of Monaco and moved there. Apart from monetary benefits, the country also provides some of the best sporting facilities, being home to an F1 circuit, the Monaco Grand Prix, and an esteemed ATP Masters 1000 tennis tournament.

These two events happen very close to each other every year, around summertime, and it is not uncommon to see stars from one of the sports spectating the other from their VIP seats.

This year, Carlos Sainz was seen frequenting the picturesque courts of Monte Carlo to watch some of the top tennis players in the world. He also interacted with several pros, including Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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