Emma Raducanu will return to action this afternoon as she faces Slovenia's Polona Hercog in the opening round of the Transylvania Open.

The Romanian tournament is just Raducanu's second event since she triumphed in the US Open last month.

The 18-year-old previously featured at Indian Wells but was knocked out in her first appearance by world number 74 Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

Raducanu was scheduled to compete at the Kremlin Cup earlier this month, but pulled out before the tournament started.

The new British number one is carrying a huge weight of pressure on her shoulders. Since making history as the first ever qualifier to win a Grand Slam, Raducanu has been the hot topic of tennis.

Great things are expected of the young trailblazer and she was subject to some questions surrounding her form after she suffered an early exit at Indian Wells.

Emma Raducanu

However, Raducanu admitted she was "kind of glad" for the defeat and is treating it as a learning curve in the still very early stages of her tennis career.

She has since spoken out ahead of her return to the court, pleading with fans and spectators to "be patient" with her.

"Patience is key. Because there are a lot of lows, where you learn about your game," the world number 23 said. "You adjust to each level gradually. I kind of went from zero to the top of the game.

"So, it’s obviously going to take some time to adjust and adapt but hopefully with some good work, I will be able to do that."

Emma Raducanu

Indeed, Raducanu's story is somewhat of an overnight fairytale. She made her WTA debut in June at the Nottingham Open, before appearing at her first Grand Slam as a Wimbledon wildcard. 

The teen reached the fourth round in her maiden Grand Slam tournament before going on to achieve success at the US Open.

Raducanu beat Canada's Leylah Fernandez in an all-teenaged showdown at Flushing Meadows, becoming the first British woman since Virginia Wade in 1977 to reach a major final.

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"I don’t think there is any pressure on me. I feel like everyone should just be a little patient with me," Raducanu continued. "I’m going to find my tennis, I just need a little bit of time. But I’m really enjoying it."

The teen will return to the court at 4pm BST to take on Hercog at the Transylvania Open this afternoon.