EMMA RADUCANU might be the most famous sportswoman in the UK – but she hardly ever gets recognised on the TUBE.
Britain’s tennis superstar has loved her daily trips on overground and then underground trains from Bromley, Kent, into Central London.
Not only does she use public transport to attend training, the 2021 US Open champion will often come into the capital to meet friends and eat at top-class restaurants.
But during the busy times, she is rarely noticed by office-bound commuters.
Despite her face usually on huge billboards during Wimbledon time and her New York Slam win was watched by more than nine million people.
Raducanu, 23, said: “I’ve been part of rush hour every day, which has also been an experience.
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“But it’s like my switch off. As soon as I get on the South Western (Railway) to Waterloo, I’m just like, my day is done now.
“Sometimes people recognise me.
“You know what’s actually funny, in rush hour, people are so locked into their worlds, they are all so zoned out, they’re not really paying attention.
“They’re probably not expecting to see me either. I have my hood up or whatever, but they’re just so focused and absorbed in their own worlds.
“It’s all so crazy. Like the haste in which everyone’s walking around.
“It’s like everyone’s on a mission. You have to get the elbows out, just to get through.
“I’m like, okay, if people see me on the tube, it’s not a bad thing.
“If people recognise me, and they want to come up to me, then that’s great, but I don’t necessarily feel like I’m hiding from anything anymore.”
That final comment will come as welcome news for all fans of Raducanu, particularly given the horror stalker episode she went through in February.
During a match in Dubai, Raducanu burst into tears on court when she noticed a man in the stands that had been following her around the world.
The individual, who approached her in a cafe the day before asking for a photo, was arrested by UAE police and signed a restraining order to stay away.
It was a horrible situation and she fled back to the UK into the embrace of her parents.
Ten months on, that is firmly behind her now and she feels comfortable going out, because friends, family and management have rallied around her.
Raducanu, who ended the WTA Tour year at world No.29, said: “Honestly, I’ve gotten over it.
“I feel good because someone’s always watching my back.”
Raducanu’s season ended prematurely in China in October due to illness and then a foot injury, which is still an issue, ruled her out of two lucrative USA exhibitions this week.
During this off-season, Raducanu has been brushing up on her Spanish – to speak in her coach Francis Roig’s native tongue – and also learning some more French.
In some of her text messages to pals, she has a habit of “mixing languages”.
The British No.1 laughed: “I’m saying a sentence with like three different languages, and I just don’t even know what I’m saying.
“But I think it’s been great for me to put my mind to something else, to be occupied and feed my brain.
“It’s the best thing I can do for myself. And I feel like I’m just in a pretty content place. Just trying to become a better version off the court.
“I’ve had some time to do that, and yeah, I’m actually just pretty pleased with the progress I’m making in myself as a person, and maturing.”
Last Sunday, Raducanu flew to Barcelona for an extended training block with Roig, Rafa Nadal’s former coach, as they continue their partnership into next season.
She intends to spend Christmas at home, the first time since the Covid-hit years, and then open up her 2026 diary with the United Cup in Australia.
Raducanu said: “Overall I have to be positive about the season. I think I did a great job in terms of competing a lot more. I put myself out there week to week.
“In terms of longevity, I definitely lasted for a lot more of the season. Only at the end, I kind of had some issues.
“But for me to go kind of nine months pretty strong is something that I haven’t actually done before.
“It’s my first year of actually competing and playing that much that I did. So I’m pretty proud of it.”
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