Emma Raducanu holds hands up in ‘jealous' admission after her plea is answered
Emma Raducanu holds hands up in 'jealous' admission after her plea is answered
The WTA Tour's Queen's Tournament is back in London for the first time since 1973 this week, and Emma Raducanu is just one of the talented players taking part
Emma Raducanu has spoken about playing at the Queen's Club
(Image: Robert Prange, Getty Images )
Emma Raducanu has said she was always a little jealous that the ATP Tour got to play at the Queen's Club while the WTA didn't.
The WTA Tour has returned to London for the first time since 1973, with female tennis stars gracing the courts at the esteemed club this week. The West Kensington venue is already home to a successful men's event, which consistently bags the award for best ATP 500, and women have long yearned for their own chance to compete here.
Their desires have finally been fulfilled, with British prodigy Raducanu, Australian Open victor Madison Keys and Olympic gold winner Qinwen Zheng among those showcasing their skills on the grass courts at Queen's, after years of feeling "jealous" of the ATP crop.
For Keys, participating in the WTA 500 at Queen's was an easy decision. Her close friend and ex-player Laura Robson, is the tournament director. She said: "Obviously, when Laura asked for me to play the tournament, it was a pretty quick yes.
"I'm happy to be here, and I've always loved the grass swing, so to start here for the first time in many, many years is really fun. I've always heard amazing things about the tournament and I've always been pretty jealous because the guys just rave about how great it is here and they love playing here. So, I'm really looking forward to being able to play here."
Despite being a Grand Slam finalist and an Olympic gold medallist, Zheng has admitted that she's inexperienced on grass, having never reached a quarter-final on the surface. The world No. 5, however, is thrilled to participate in the WTA Tour's return to Queen's.
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The Chinese star said: "I watched the men's event Queens and I'm really happy. The first time for the women, in my generation, that we can play in Queen's in such a special club.
Australian Open champion Madison Keys immediately said yes to playing at Queen's
(Image: Getty )
"It's amazing for us that we can start first and we have the experience to play on such beautiful grass. I think it's a very classic, old, traditional place, and it's a special club because you have all the neighbourhood around, which is an amazing design from a long, long time ago."
Donna Vekic, a grass court enthusiast who reached Wimbledon's semi-finals last year, has always dreamt of the opportunity for the women to showcase their talents at the iconic venue. She said: "It's very historical and this club, when I watch the men's tournament, it's always amazing and I always wished that we had a chance to play and now we do, so I'm very excited to be playing here."
UK players are possibly the most elated as they've grown up beholding the ATP event and, for the first time, have the chance to compete there in the presence of a home audience. Raducanu, with a smile, admitted when asked of feelings of jealousy: "A little bit, healthy. But it was great seeing the guys play here, of course.
Zheng Qinwen is elated to be playing at the Queen's Club
(Image: Andy Cheung, Getty Images )
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"When I was young, I came here with my dad. I was like hunting the brownies on the ground and not so interested in the tennis. But now to be back here and competing is a different feel for sure.
"It's kind of interesting how it feels because you're at home, you don't necessarily feel like you're playing a tournament or a match tomorrow. But I think it is also really good to switch off and just to have comforts everywhere."
Meanwhile, British No. 1 Katie Boulter shared her long-held desire to play at the club. She said: "I've actually always said to myself, I wish there was a women's event here, I wish I got the chance to play on this court, because you can feel the history and you can feel how incredible it is."
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