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'He's an inspiration to all of us': Emma Raducanu praises Andy Murray on historic court renaming

Originally posted on TennisUpToDate.com | Last updated Jun 12, 2025 3:55 PM ET

Emma Raducanu expressed her admiration for three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray following her debut at the WTA 500 Queen's Club Championships. She played on Centre Court, which was recently renamed Andy Murray Court in honor of the five-time champion, the tournament's most successful player.

Raducanu started strong on Tuesday, comfortably defeating Spain's Cristina Bucsa 6-1, 6-2. It was only the second day since the court was renamed and marked its first women's edition since 1973.

The Brit arrives at the tournament with high ambitions, playing at home and feeling comfortable on grass courts. The world No. 37 has a chance this week to enter Wimbledon as a seeded player if she reaches the final.

Raducanu spoke with TNT Sports after her smooth debut at Queen's Club. "I must say I have been very focused, so I am very pleased with my performance. I was a bit nervous at the beginning of the match; it was my first time playing on this court at Queen's in London. The support has been incredible."

"I would say I am still trying to find my rhythm on this surface. There are certain shots where I feel they are below the desired level, so I am working on it. I knew the first-round match would be very tough; in fact, I lost to Cristina (Bucsa) earlier this year, so I tried to fight and make sure it didn't happen again. I want to stay here playing at Queen's and play as many matches as I can."

The former US Open champion was asked about her compatriot, Andy Murray. A year ago, it was expected that Murray's Wimbledon farewell would be in mixed doubles alongside Raducanu, but the 22-year-old decided to withdraw as a precaution regarding her physical condition, having reached the fourth round.

However, Raducanu has always expressed her appreciation for the former world No. 1 and didn't miss the opportunity to praise Murray. "It's incredible what Andy has achieved in his career. He's an inspiration to all of us. To see him open this court was immense. For us girls, to finally have a tournament here after watching the men play on TV is really nice."

This article first appeared on TennisUpToDate.com and was syndicated with permission.

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