Anyone who watched that final of the US Open Tennis would have been blown away by the event and its aftermath I am sure. The athleticism of both players, the drama and suspense of the final part of the second set, injury and everything, and the grace and good humour of the young women afterwards. Both are superb role models, and I am sure that there will be a significant uptick in the popularity of the game as a consequence. History was made, lives will be changed, a good news story in times where we all need a lift.
There is another aspect that may just have escaped some - and may be inconvenient for others I suspect. Emma Raducanu, our brilliant young grand slam winner, breaks national boundaries in ways that few could have imagined. Emma's father is Romanian, as is her name and I understand that she speaks Romanian fluently as well as Mandarin. Despite the fact that she has never actually lived in Romania, Romanians consider her as one of their countrywomen. Emma's mother is Chinese, and I would anticipate that she will be viewed as a Chinese heroine by millions of Chinese people both within and beyond their home country - even though marriages between Chinese citizens and others are strongly discouraged by the PRC in Beijing. Of course Emma was born in Canada (as was Leyla Fernandez), so Canadians will claim national affinity too, but she was educated in the UK and trained here too so naturally she must be a Brit!
All most confusing. Wouldn't it be simpler to have a national hero who was British through and through...? The truth is that our new star is a good example of what can happen with a multi-racial, multi-ethnic tolerant society where opportunity beckons, talent is rewarded and merit is earned. Emma Raducanu is a living embodiment of what can be done if nationalism is put to one side and global citizenship is celebrated. In truth four countries will be celebrating her outstanding success in tennis - but we should all see her as a rebuttal to the various breeds of narrow nationalism that are becoming more commonplace, whether we like tennis or not.
SDS
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