Watch: Emma Raducanu battles through tears in Eastbourne Open first-round win

Emma Raducanu has faced numerous fitness issues throughout her young career. Consistent injuries have also forced her to stay away from the court for a considerable amount of time.

Despite all those struggles, Raducanu has managed to come back and deliver some impressive performances in recent times. The 22-year-old is currently taking part in the Eastbourne Open, where she cemented her place in the second round after beating America’s Ann Li with a score of 6-7, 6-3, 6-1.

Raducanu’s expressions right after cementing showed how much it meant to her as she was seen in tears. Talking after the match, Raducanu stated that she was ‘proud’ of her attitude after cementing the win.

“It feels incredible. I want to thank the crowd for getting me through some really sticky moments,” she said. “It really meant a lot to me and I’m really proud of how I fought back after losing the first set. I’m very, very happy to come through that. It was tough, it was up and down, but from the middle of the second set I think I found another gear and another level.”

It was Raducanu’s 15th win in 27 matches this year. Before taking part in the Eastbourne Open, Raducanu featured in the Queen’s Club Championship, where she was knocked out after losing in the quarterfinal to China’s Zheng Qinwen in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 6-4. Raducanu will now face Maya Joint, who will be coming into the contest on the back of a big win against Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, where she came out on top in straight sets with a score of 7-5, 6-2. It will be the second meeting between the two players in professional tennis. In the previous meeting, which came in the first round of the Rome Masters earlier this year, Raducanu came out on top with a score of 7-5, 6-7, 6-3.