- British tennis sensation Emma Raducanu said she has been receiving advice from Lewis Hamilton.
- The 19-year-old said Hamilton has been advising her on how to deal with the pressure of fame.
- Hamilton reportedly said "Be patient, you've just got to ride the wave. It's all good. Don't worry."
Emma Raducanu has revealed she has been getting private advice from Formula One superstar Lewis Hamilton.
Speaking after playing an exhibition match at the Royal Albert Hall in London — her first matcg in the UK since winning the US Open in September — Raducanu said Hamilton had been coaching her on how to deal with the pressure that comes with being a rising star.
"[Hamilton] said: 'Be patient, you've just got to ride the wave. It's all good. Don't worry'. Good reassurance. He has been such a good role model for me in terms of helping me out through the next stages," Raducanu told British media after the event.
Like Raducanu, Hamilton was thrust into the spotlight at an early age. He first competed in Formula One at the age of 22 and won his first world title at the age of 23.
Raducanu is a fan of Formula One and raced in karting and motocross events as a child. She described Hamilton as a "cool guy."
The 19-year-old, alongside Hamilton, is up for the prestigious Sports Personality of the Year, which is awarded by the BBC to one British sportsperson every year after a public vote.
Raducanu dismissed suggestions she would take this year's crown, ahead of Hamilton, who could secure a fifth consecutive F1 championship, and an eighth overall, in the coming weeks.
"No, definitely not. I am rooting for Lewis in the race," she said.
"I just don't even think about it. For me, it's something that's so far out of the realms of possibility."
Having competed and won her first game in her home country since her remarkable win at the US Open, Raducanu said it will take "patience" to reach where she wants to be.
"For me, my expectations of myself are to keep improving, I want to look back at the end of the year and see that I made gains in different areas. I know it will take a lot of patience to get to where I want to be," she said.