Emma Raducanu recognised as she wins big at prestigious Laureus Sports Awards
British number one Emma Raducanu has been named as the Breakthrough of the Year at the 2022 Laureus Sports Awards, capping off a historic year for the 19-year-old.
In September of last year, Raducanu shocked the tennis world when she beat Switzerland’s Leylah Fernandez in the final of the US Open to become the first tennis player to win a Grand Slam title as a qualifier and to be the first British women singles tennis player to lift a Major title in 44 years.
Remarkably, the British starlet did it all without breaking a sweat as she did not lose a single set throughout the tournament – the first woman to do so at Flushing Meadows since 2014 when Serena Williams lifted the trophy.
From that victory, she moved to a new high career ranking of 23 and simultaneously became the new British number one.
Emma Raducanu has since managed to maintain the title of British number one as well as continue to increase her ranking. with her currently the world number 11.
In recognition of those achievements, Raducanu this week was awarded the Breakthrough of the Year award at the prestigious Laureus Sports Awards – which have long honoured the greatest sporting moments of the last year.
Other awards such as Sportsman of the year went to Formula One racing driver Max Verstappen, whilst the women’s award was won by Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah, who took gold in the 100 metres, 200 metres and 4 X 100 metre relay in Tokyo.
Two other Brits received awards, including 13-year-old Olympic bronze medallist Sky Brown who won Comeback of the Year award after she fractured her skull and broke her arm during a training fall but then went on to finish third in the park skateboarding final and BMX rider Bethany Shriever, who was named the Action Sportsperson of the Year.
Tennis was well-represented as a whole, with Novak Djokovic nominated for the Sportsman of the Year, while Daniil Medvedev was beaten to the Breakthrough of the Year award by Raducanu.
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