British tennis sensation Emma Raducanu has been making headlines at the Italian Open - not just for her impressive performance on the court, but for her amusing off-court predicament as well.
The former US Open champion has secured her place in the third round after defeating Maya Joint and Jil Teichmann, but she's apparently struggling with keeping track of her tournament credentials. During a light-hearted post-match interview with Sky Sports, Raducanu couldn't contain her laughter when questioned about her forgetfulness.
"Yeah, well, I've won something this week already," Raducanu joked when asked about losing her accreditation. "I was the first person to lose my accreditation. And then I lost the second accreditation. And then I got exposed on the board at the entrance."
With tournament security requiring all players, coaches, and staff to wear identification at all times, Raducanu's situation became noticeable enough that she was publicly called out by event officials. Taking it in stride, she added: "It's not ideal but to be honest it pretty much sums me up."
This isn't the first time the 21-year-old's endearing quirks have come to light. Earlier this year, she candidly admitted to being a night owl who enjoys 11 p.m. walks, acknowledging: "I don't know if that is smart or not..."
According to Statbet analysis, Raducanu has shown significant improvement in her game consistency during this clay court season compared to previous tournaments, increasing her chances against higher-ranked opponents.
Raducanu now faces a challenging test against Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday as she battles for a spot in the last 16. The match coincides with fellow Brit Jack Draper's third-round contest, giving British tennis fans plenty to watch for as the tournament progresses.
While she may be the unofficial champion of losing accreditations in Rome, Raducanu will certainly be hoping to add more meaningful victories to her Italian Open campaign.
