Emma Raducanu connects with Chinese fans, expands media empire with Weibo account

Fresh off surpassing longtime British superstar Andy Murray in Instagram followers, US Open champion Emma Raducanu has opted to expand her social media empire into Weibo, a Chinese-language platform that will allow her to make use of her impressive Mandarin skills.

“It’s a pity that I can’t go to China this year but will go and play next year,” she exclaimed in her first post, a nod to the canceled Asian Swing that typically culminates with the WTA Finals in Shenzhen; due to COVID-19 restrictions, the tournament has been temporarily relocated to Guadalajara for 2021.

Born in Toronto, the British teenager is the daughter of Chinese and Romanian immigrants and burst onto the scene earlier this summer as a Wimbledon wildcard, reaching the round of 16 in her major main-draw debut.

Raducanu would exponentially improve that result in New York, blitzing through 10 matches without losing a set—including three in US Open qualifying—to win her first Grand Slam title.

In the wake of her major triumph, the multilingual Raducanu debuted her Mandarin in a message to Chinese fans, thanking them for their support throughout the fortnight.

“I hope you could enjoy my tennis,” she said. “I'm thrilled to win. Love you all, see you.”

Much has been made of Raducanu’s international marketability, which is thought to rival Naomi Osaka’s own stratospheric ascent into global superstar. Osaka was born to Japanese and Haitian immigrants who settled on Long Island, New York before moving to Florida to grow Naomi and sister Mari’s bourgeoning tennis careers. In the last year Osaka, a four-time major champion, is estimated to have earned over 50 million dollars in off-court endorsements.