U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu has thanked Lewis Hamilton for his recommendation and assist since her thrilling maiden Grand Slam win in September, describing the seven-times Method One world champion as her function mannequin.

Talking after her straight-sets win over Elena-Gabriela Ruse at an exhibition occasion in London on Sunday, Raducanu mentioned Hamilton was a “actually cool man”.

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Raducanu competed in karting and motocross occasions as a toddler, and is an enormous fan of Method One.

“(Hamilton) mentioned: ‘Be affected person, you’ve got simply acquired to trip the wave. It is all good. Don’t fret’. Good reassurance. He has been such function mannequin for me when it comes to serving to me out by means of the subsequent phases,” Raducanu informed British media.

The 19-year-old additionally shrugged off discuss of beating Hamilton to the BBC Sports activities Character of the Yr award subsequent month

“No, positively not. I’m rooting for Lewis within the race,” she mentioned.

“I simply do not even give it some thought. For me, it is one thing that is thus far out of the realms of chance.”

Raducanu, who’s making ready for the 2022 season by present process intense five-hour day by day coaching classes, additionally spoke about her private targets.

“For me, my expectations of myself are to maintain enhancing, I need to look again on the finish of the 12 months and see that I made good points in numerous areas. I do know it’ll take quite a lot of endurance to get to the place I need to be,” she mentioned.

The match on Sunday was Raducanu’s first on dwelling soil since her astonishing U.S. Open triumph, when she entered the match as a qualifier ranked a hundred and fiftieth on the planet and ended it as Britain’s first feminine Grand Slam champion for 44 years.