Emma Raducanu celebrates winning her match at the ASB Classic. Photo / Photosport
Emma Raducanu celebrates winning her match at the ASB Classic. Photo / Photosport
In July this year ASB Classic tournament director Nicolas Lamperin had one of his most important recruitment meetings of 2024.
During the second week of Wimbledon he sat down with the representatives of Emma Raducanu, to discuss bringing her back to Auckland for a third consecutive summer. Currently ranked world No 58, Raducanu is in demand – still one of the most marketable players in the sport, after her stunning 2021 US Open win as an qualifier, a triumph that transcended tennis.
“Someone like Emma will always be on top of our list, she’s a marquee player, her ranking doesn’t really matter in terms of the star power that she brings to the tournament,” Lamperin told the Herald.
Negotiations were fairly smooth, with a deal confirmed in early September, meaning her image will again be prominent on billboards around the city. It’s a major boost for the tournament and the financial equation stacks up.
“It’s an investment but it’s worth it,” said Lamperin. “We’ve seen the effect on ticket sales, every time we have announced her there is always a major spike. We have also seen the reaction from our sponsors when we are having a discussion and sharing the possibility that she might be coming.”
In terms of profile, Lamperin puts Raducanu in the top tier on WTA tour, alongside the likes of Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka.
“She is in that group,” said Lamperin. “She sells tickets and fans want to see her.”
Raducanu also enjoys the trip, full of praise for the city. One of her closest friends lives here and she has spent time with the family, while also visiting their bach north of Auckland.
“She has a special relationship with Auckland and New Zealand,” said Lamperin. “That really helps the discussion.”
Emma Raducanu at the 2024 ASB Classic. Photo / Photosport
Raducanu had a difficult first visit here in 2023, rolling her ankle in a second round match that was moved indoors after persistent rain. It was a major setback – after an injury-interrupted season the year before – and Raducanu blasted the state of the courts, calling them sub-standard and slippery. Those words – and the circumstances of her exit - made headlines across the tennis world, with Lamperin forced to defend the tournament in a spicy press conference the following day.
“It is all behind us now,” said Lamperin. “We had to face the most unfortunate circumstances in 2023, we have all learned from it and I don’t think such a similar scenario could happen again.”
In fact, Auckland is now one of Raducanu’s favourite stops.
“The people are very friendly and very hospitable,” said Raducanu. “I always have a great time there. The weather, when it is nice, is really beautiful.”
She has also made some on-court memories, with her 2024 second-round encounter with eventual finalist Elena Svitolina one of the matches of the women’s tournament, in front of a capacity crowd.
Raducanu has had a solid year. She adopted a lighter schedule – allowing time for more training in between tournaments and it has worked, with 20 wins from 33 matches. Raducanu claimed her first victory over a top 10 player – beating Jessica Pegula at Eastbourne and had decent runs at Indian Wells (round of 32), Wimbledon (fourth round) and Abu Dhabi (round of 16), as well as reaching the semifinals in Nottingham and the last eight in Washington and Seoul. She has also ran into big guns, stopped by world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka at Indian Wells and No 2 Iga Swiatek in Stuttgart.
The 21-year-old has been sidelined with an ankle injury for the past two months but will return later this week at the Billie Jean King Cup in Malaga.
“Mentally I feel like I am in a better place to compete now than I ever have been before since the US Open,” said Raducanu. “It’s going to probably take me some tournaments to get up to speed but once I do, I am in a better headspace to compete now.”
Along with Raducanu, Kiwi doubles ace Erin Routliffe was also confirmed on Wednesday for the 2025 event, this time alongside partner Gaby Dabrowski, who wasn’t able to accompany her to Auckland this year. The duo took out the WTA Finals tournament in Saudi Arabia last weekend, to add to a burgeoning list of achievements, including the 2023 US Open title.
They made the Wimbledon final this year, the semifinals at the French Open and the last eight in New York. Routliffe also reached the doubles summit – ranked No 1 – in mid-July and is currently No 2, with Dabrowski No 3.
“Two years ago, if you told me this was happening, I would not have believed you,” Routliffe said. “It’s a testament to years and years of working and learning what works for me. Having people around me that believe in me no matter what. Gaby taking a chance on me when my ranking was probably not as high as she would have liked in our partnership. I will never forget that and I don’t take any of it for granted. It’s been a quick rise.”
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns.
