Emma Raducanu reflects on 'amazing' year as she returns to Nottingham

Emma Raducanu has told ITV News Central that Nottingham has a "special place in her heart".

She also admits things have been "amazing" over the last 12 months as she returns to the scene where it all began in Nottingham this week.

The teenager, fresh from completing her A Levels, made her debut WTA Tour appearance this time last year and no one could have predicted what was to happen in the following months.

After introducing herself to the nation with a run to the fourth round at Wimbledon, she became a global star when she made history by winning the US Open in September.

When she lost that first-round match to Harriet Dart last June only people involved in British tennis knew of her, but now she returns to the Midlands city to compete in the Rothesay Open a household name.

She told ITV News Central: "I'm really looking forward to coming back to Nottingham."

Raducanu adds: "I think it's amazing to sort of see what I've done in the last 12 months and come back here with all the experiences that I've gained."

"Nottingham's definitely got a little special place in my heart because I had this 250 and then I came back the next week and I've done 100,000.

"I'm really happy to be back and playing in front of a home crowd."

Her rise to prominence could was perfectly evidenced by the fact she was asked to send the Queen a message for the Jubilee celebrations alongside Sir David Attenborough, David Beckham, Stephen Fry and Dame Julie Andrews.

"The message for the Queen, when I was asked to do that I was definitely a bit nervous,” she added. "I was pronouncing all my ‘t’s’.

It was pretty surreal and a real honour of course. And to see my face on the screen, I was like, "This can’t be real!’."