Emma Raducanu collected her MBE from King Charles III on Tuesday after a truly phenomenal rise into the spotlight.
At just 18 years old, she became the poster girl for British tennis after winning the US Open in 2021.
It was a triumph nobody expected. Raducanu had become the first qualifying player in history to go on to win a Grand Slam title.
The magnitude of her victory swept around the world as the new kid on the block became a major champion just three months after her WTA Tour debut.
But Raducanu has stressed that she was not perceived any differently by those around her once she arrived home from New York.
What happened after Emma Raducanu won the US Open?
After winning the US Open, Raducanu had brands falling over themselves to work with her.
Tiffany & Co, Dior, British Airways and Porsche are just some of the lucrative endorsement deals the 20-year-old boasts in her business portfolio.
But despite becoming a hugely marketable name since her historic triumph, it seems the brands are some of the only ones who pounced on her success.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: Emma Raducanu of Great Britain celebrates with the championship trophy after defeating Leylah Annie Fernandez of Canada during their Women's Singles final match on Day Thirteen of the 2021 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 11, 2021 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
"[Winning the US Open] wasn’t a big deal at all for my family — it was just like a normal Friday or Saturday night," Raducanu admitted in an interview with Grazia.
In fact, after she beat Shelby Rogers to reach the quarter-finals — her best result at a Grand Slam at that point — she said her parents did not reply to her text, even though they were online at the time.
Even after ending Britain's 44-year wait for a female Grand Slam champion, Raducanu admitted she "struggled to get a court" at her local club.
"There was no special treatment at all!" she said.
What is next for Emma Raducanu?
While this year can certainly be described as a shadow of Raducanu's glory from 2021, the Brit is eager to get back onto the court and bounce back to form.
She shed some light on her strict schedule as she looks ahead to the start of the 2023 WTA season.
"I’ve never gone out. I’ve never done any normal teenage things," she revealed. "Between training and the travel, [the lifestyle] takes some getting used to, but I like to be on my own and it’s always about the bigger picture."
PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 25: Emma Raducanu of Great Britain plays a forehand against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus during the Women's Singles Round 2 on Day Four of The 2022 French Open at Roland Garros on May 25, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Since winning the US Open, Raducanu has struggled with several injuries and has made it beyond the quarter-finals of a tournament just once.
She dropped her title at Flushing Meadows in the first round against France's Alizé Cornet and ended the season ranked 75th in the world.
However, the Brit has continued to remind fans and the media that she is still young, with a lot of time to regain form, and she is not letting pressure get to her so early on in her career.
"In my career, I’ve done pretty well compared to most teenagers," she said. "Hopefully, I’ll be playing throughout my twenties and into my thirties — I’m looking forward to putting in a good shift."
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Quiz: How well do you remember Emma Raducanu’s breakthrough year?