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EM THE SAME

Emma Raducanu vows not to let fame and fortune change her as she returns to court for first time since US Open heroics

IN LESS than a month, Emma Raducanu became a multi-millionaire and met the future Queen.

Yet as she returns to the day job for the first time since that epic US Open triumph, she insists she will not change her winning formula.

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US Open winner Emma Raducanu, 18, will be back in action at Indian Wells this weekCredit: Getty

Raducanu, 18, makes her debut appearance at Indian Wells this week.

Since winning in New York — the first qualifier to become a Major champion — and banking £1.8 million prize money, the Brit has gone from obscurity to perhaps the world’s most-famous teenager.

She met the Duchess of Cambridge, attended the James Bond premiere and saw her followers on Instagram hit two million.

Raducanu said: “I don’t want to change anything. What got me to this point is not thinking differently.

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“If I put additional thoughts in my head, that will just create a problem.

“I’m going to keep on about my business and stay the same.

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“It’s been a cool three weeks. I got to experience some great things that I probably never would have got to do before. After that I just went straight back to training and focusing on this competition.

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“When I was at home, I still didn’t really go out. I was just at home with my family.

“It felt nice to receive the support and everyone’s kind messages — but I didn’t get too caught up in it.”

The highlight of her whirlwind few weeks was not the invitations to red-carpet functions.

It was that intimate, quiet moment in a New York hotel, when she stayed up to the small hours of the morning sharing the US Open triumph with her team.

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Raducanu was on the red carpet for the new James Bond premiereCredit: Getty

Since then, the coaching relationship with Andrew Richardson has been ruthlessly ended and a vacancy has emerged.

Jeremy Bates, the former British No 1, has been working with her in California as a stop-gap.

Raducanu said: “I want to make sure I make the right decision.”

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Her opponent on either Friday or Saturday will be the winner of the tie between Maria Camila Osorio and Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

Win that and it could be the 2019 Wimbledon champ Simona Halep — who Raducanu grew up idolising.

She became the first qualifier ever to win a Grand Slam title last monthCredit: Alamy

Even though Serena Williams is on the way out and Naomi Osaka now has off-court issues, women’s tennis still looks in fantastic shape thanks to the new crop of youngsters.

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Raducanu added: “All the young players are pushing each other. The women’s game is strong right now.

“The level is so high and anyone can really win most tournaments.

“It’s looking really good for the next generation.”

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Emma Raducanu is back on the training court as she prepares for Indian Wells tournament
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