Emma Raducanu Says Parents Have Kept Her 'Focused' and 'Grounded' amid Quick Rise in Pro Tennis

Courtesy Evian Emma Raducanu

It's been a banner year for Emma Raducanu.

She made it to the fourth round in her Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon earlier this year and followed it up with the women's singles title at the US Open in September. With the victory, she became the first British woman to win a major singles title in 53 years and the youngest British player to ever win a Grand Slam. Even more impressive? She'd entered the tournament unseeded.

Still, the 19-year-old tells PEOPLE, "as a player, I think that I have a lot of work to do, to be honest."

Raducanu, who is Evian's newest global ambassador the brand announced Thursday, says that despite that drive and work ethic, she's been working on being "patient" and "kind" to herself.

"A lot of the time I can get so caught up in the moment and caught up in a particular shot that, I'm very tough on myself," she admits. "So to step back and look at how far I've come, I think that's the biggest thing I've learned [this year], just to be patient."

Regardless, Raducanu — the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam in the Open Era — is making waves as the women's tennis circuit's latest rising star. In fact, she was just named the Women's Tennis Association's (WTA) newcomer of the year. Past winners have included both Serena and Venus Williams.

"To join those names, I think, is pretty crazy," she tells PEOPLE. "And I don't really believe it, because they've achieved so much. So for me to be part of that little group, I think, is a good achievement. But I'm just really looking forward to getting started from here and trying to really make my tour experience and my tour legacy prolonged."

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These achievements wouldn't have happened without the help and guidance of her parents, Raducanu assures: "They're really good at keeping me on the ground and really good at keeping me focused and just plugging away a day at a time, not getting too high with the wins or too low with the losses."

"They have full-time jobs," she adds of her parents. "So, I mean, from a young age I was at school alone or at childminders. And then I'd play tennis at 7:00 a.m. in the morning and then maybe at 8:00 p.m. in the evening under the floodlights and in the rain on the artificial clay courts. So I think looking back, just to see how far I've come, and their support, for them to bring me to this stage, I really respect and I'm so grateful for the sacrifices that they made."

Courtesy Evian Emma Raducanu

Raducanu is also grateful for the support of Evian, and recently stopped by the water company's VIP carbon-neutral hospitality suite at Wimbledon to learn about their sustainability mission.

"I'm so excited to be a global ambassador for Evian," she says. "I mean, to me, it's such an honor, because Evian is such an iconic brand. And it's a real champion of tennis for the younger generation."

As for the younger generation — of which, many would note, Raducanu is still a part — the athlete has some advice.

"I'd say smile and enjoy," Raducanu advises aspiring tennis players. "If tennis gave me one thing, it's confidence. I was a really shy little girl. And I know when I was training and had to play with the boys, I was kind of scared of them and wasn't loving it. But then it brings you so much confidence. And I feel like I'm in such a better place now that I played the sport as a girl."