Luke Littler, the newly crowned world darts champion, once admitted he knew little about Emma Raducanu but expressed a desire to meet her. The two young British sports stars have experienced contrasting fortunes in recent days, with Littler dominating the Saudi Arabia Masters while Raducanu exited the Australian Open in the second round.
Speaking to the Daily Mail last year, Littler confessed: "We have had no involvement as of yet. I didn't know much about her but I know she won what she did at a young age." He added that he hoped their respective teams would arrange a meeting. Raducanu, meanwhile, has shown huge admiration for Littler, saying: "Amazing respect to him. Big time interested in meeting Littler. I'd love to meet any top athletes and top individuals who have succeeded in their fields."
Raducanu, who won the US Open as an 18-year-old qualifier in 2021, has struggled with injuries and form since that triumph. After losing to Anastasia Potapova in Melbourne, she admitted dissatisfaction with her performance and hinted at reassessing her game. "I definitely want to feel better on certain shots before I start playing again," she said.
The 23-year-old also spoke about the challenges of fame, noting that constant judgment and scrutiny have been difficult to handle. "You feel like you're constantly a bit on edge because you're being followed ... but I think trying to stay away from that and keep on my path has been the biggest adjustment," she explained.
