It’s not usually easy to get the Queen to talk about tennis, but that didn’t stop former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu from catching the Commonwealth princess’s attention during the duchess’ visit to the Amman Ring Al Aqsa peace palace in Jordan on Saturday. Raducanu delivered an emotional interview to the duchess in which she shared her mental scars from both professionally and personally as an American Jew.
Raducanu, 24, was champion at the Australian Open in 2014 and also secured a spot in the 2015 Women’s Open. She is one of the top-ranked American women players outside of the top 15 of the WTA rankings.
Through an interpreter, Raducanu told the duchess she was inspired and moved by her U.S. Open success because she was part of a generation of Jewish athletes that includes Sloane Stephens, fellow tennis player Danielle Collins and mixed doubles tennis stars Mike Bryan and Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
“It’s incredible and it would mean so much to me to be able to represent the Jewish people in athletics,” she said.
After the interview, Raducanu met with the Queen at her Windsor Castle home.