Emma Raducanu teaches tennis lesson from 4,000 miles away
Great Britain could have another Emma Raducanu in the works, with Hannah Klugman turning heads at the W100 Shrewsbury this week. The 14-year-old is already the youngest female player ever to qualify for an event of the same level, and she took a big scalp on Thursday to book her spot in the quarter-finals.
Klugman, born in 2009, continued her remarkable run in Shrewsbury by beating British No 5 Lily Miyazaki. The youngster showed fighting spirit to battle past the world No 163 in three sets, taking the match 7-6 4-6 6-2.
Already punching well above her weight in terms of the WTA rankings, Klugman will now face world No 46 Oceane Dodin – a player 12 years her senior – for a place in the semi-finals.
Just by making it into the main draw, Klugman knocked reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff off her perch as the youngest-ever female player to do so on the ITF Tour.
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Klugman is appearing in just her fourth professional event. Aged 14 years and eight months, she also reached the quarter-finals at W25 Nottingham back in April.
Tennis fans are hopeful that the teenager can replicate the success Raducanu enjoyed when she burst onto the scene, with @karenwr75084451 writing on X: “She’s going to be something special.”
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Meanwhile, @lizcurran added: “She was very impressive. I loved watching her play doubles with Isabelle Lacy in Wimbledon juniors this year.” Raducanu, now 20, made it to the fourth round at SW19 on her Grand Slam debut back in 2021.
The Brit went on to win the US Open that same year, but injury woes have stifled her momentum of late. Speaking at Flushing Meadows earlier this summer, Klugman explained: “I still go to Wimbledon High School, I want to stay there as long as I can.
“It’s nice to have friends outside tennis. It’s getting quite tough now but I will try and stay as long as possible. I take my computer away with me and stay in touch with my teachers.
“I want to get my GCSEs at school for sure but that’s so far ahead. I don’t really want to go on to college but we will see how it goes, for now I want to go professional.”
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