- Emma Raducanu is formally a member of the Order of the British Empire
- King Charles III presented a medal to her
- The honour is courtesy of her 2021 US Open win
It is now official that Emma Raducanu is formally a member of the Order of the British Empire after King Charles III presented a medal to her on Tuesday.
Raducanu, a one-time US Open Grand Slam champion was awarded the MBE at a ceremony at Windsor Castle. This follows her nomination in the 2022 New Year Honours List for her contributions to sports.
After winning the US Open and being the first qualifier ever to win a Grand Slam championship, the British No. 1 was included in the list at the conclusion of 2021.
The government website’s publication of the Honour List had a statement about athletes. It stated that Raducanu obtained an MBE following her stunning US Open success.
With just four professional tournaments under her belt and a lowly world ranking of 150, Raducanu won ten matches. She never dropped a set yet she was only 18 years old and advanced through qualifying and winning the US Open 2021.
Emma Raducanu. Photo by The Independent
She beat Canadian teenager Emma Raducanu to win all this. King Charles III gave the Raducanu her medal at an Investiture ceremony in Windsor Castle, marking her official receipt of the honour.
The teenager became the first British woman to win a Grand Slam since Virginia Wade in 1977 with her historic victory at the US Open last year. It was the first all-teenage US Open women’s singles final since 1999 when she defeated Fernandez, who was 19 at the time, 6-4, 6-3.
Raducanu said in a statement after her name was included in the New Year Honor List in 2021. The MBE fills her heart with pride and gratitude.
“It makes me immensely proud and grateful to be listed to receive an MBE from Her Majesty the Queen. This year has been full of amazing surprises for me so to end 2021 with this appointment is very special,” she said.
Several athletes, including the current world No. 75, won MBEs at the ceremony on Tuesday. Former Test cricketer Hugh Morris received one for his contributions to both cricket and charity. Then, former footballer Gary Bennett received one for his work fighting racism in the game.
Emma Raducanu sailed through to Korean Open Semifinals. Photo/The Times
Andy Murray was knighted in 2017 following his great 2016 season, which saw him win a second Wimbledon title. He had also won a second Olympic gold medal and moved up to the No. 1 ranking in the world.
Raducanu now joins a list of famous British tennis players who have received honours. Murray, Tim Henman, Virginia Wade, and Jamie Murray earned an OBE, which is one higher than an MBE. Anne Keothavong, Raducanu’s Billie Jean King Cup captain, received an MBE one year prior to the 20-year-old.
The award is good news for her after a rocky season plagued by injuries since the beginning of the year. Blisters on her palms proved to be troublesome since the Australian Open.
Raducanu also suffered a back injury which forced her out of Korean Open in September.
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