RACING CERT
New pal Hamilton gets Emma’s vote
EMMA RADUCANU revealed yesterday she is being mentored by Lewis Hamilton as she urged fans to vote for the F1 star as the BBC Sports Personality of theYear. The US Open champion is favourite to win the award after her stunning victory in New York in September. But after making a winning return to the UK in an exhibition match at the Royal Albert Hall yesterday, the Bromley girl said: “I’m rooting for Lewis.
“He has been such a good role model for me, in terms of just helping me through these next stages. He is a really cool, cool guy. I met him in person at the Met Gala and we had a very good conversation there. He said, ‘Be patient. you have just got to ride the wave. It’s all good, don’t worry’. It was good reassurance.
“And since then I’ve just been looking up to him, following him, supporting him. And as for me winning the award, I don’t even think about it. I just don’t understand how it could even be a possibility.”
Raducanu will not be in Salford on December 19 for the awards ceremony because she will be training in the Gulf.
After a six-day break in the Caribbean, the British women’s No.1 has already started her pre-season and will play another exhibition in Abu Dhabi next month with new coach Torben Beltz.
She will then spend Christmas in Dubai on her way to the Australian Open.
“I knew that playing tennis you’ll spend birthdays, Christmas and New Year not at home and it doesn’t matter,” she added.
Raducanu yesterday beat world No.85 Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3, 7-6 in a match which saw two ball people play points – and one marriage proposal to the US Open champion. “It was amazing to play in front of a home crowd,” she said.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic’s father Srdjan says his son will not be “blackmailed” into having a Covid jab and will not play the Australian Open.