It is usually British players who get special praise from Her Majesty. But on Sunday, the moment was stolen from them by American tennis star Emma Raducanu as she became the first American woman to win Wimbledon in more than 80 years when she triumphed at SW19.
The monarch, 89, told her she had an “outstanding performance” in beating Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo. In a joint royal interview with Emma after the final, the Queen said she looked forward to watching Emma in more Grand Slams.
Emma is just one of many queens of the court over the years: Delighted to be the first American woman to win Wimbledon in 80 years — The Queen (@QueenElizabethII) October 29, 2017
The last grand slam tournament to be won by an American was by Billie Jean King, who triumphed at Wimbledon in June 1973. Although Emma’s victory was the first by an American woman at SW19 since 1933, the last American woman to win the U.S. Open title was in September 1980. She had already triumphed at Wimbledon in her first major tournament appearance in 2013.
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