The last four years have been strange for Emma Raducanu. On one hand, she has long been trying to recapture the form of her breakthrough season, when she reached the fourth round at Wimbledon before sealing a stunning victory at the US Open. On the other hand, she has been trying to distance herself from that 2021 campaign, and the consensus among many in the tennis world is that the 22-year-old should not be held to those standards.

Yet it was difficult to put that captivating first appearance in SW19 out of the mind when, on Wednesday, the Briton stood across from Marketa Vondrousova in the second round – the same player she beat at the same stage, four years ago.

It was even harder to cast aside memories of that dizzying summer when Raducanu achieved the same result.

This was also a refreshing throwback in that it was an occasion of jubilation, not consternation. For so long now, conversations about Raducanu have revolved around injury issues, inconsistencies with coaches, and sadly a stalker, more than anything else – more than anything positive.

But this clash with Vondrousova was a cause to be positive. Not necessarily, for the sake of making the distinction, a cause to be hopeful, because the latter word can still be tied to the oppressive expectations that have long soured the experience of supporting Raducanu. Rather, this felt like a day to enjoy watching Raducanu play well, as she enjoyed her tennis.

On a day when rain delays meant a merciful respite from the scorching heat, this match was a merciful respite from what has become the Emma Raducanu Experience. This was a reminder of what the Emma Raducanu Experience can be.

Last year, Raducanu in fact matched her debut run at the All England Club, making the fourth round in what is her joint-second-best effort at a major, behind her triumph in New York City, of course. Vondrousova, meanwhile, went on to lift the Wimbledon trophy in 2023. So, the Czech wasn’t just a familiar foe for Raducanu, but a familiar face to the Centre Court crowd.

Here, though, the 26-year-old often wore a frustrated face, perhaps feeling little more than a bystander as Raducanu dealt her a straight-sets defeat.

There was a slight tentativeness from Raducanu in the early exchanges, yet not an unwise one, as she opted against overcommitting to net approaches. As she began to sense an unease in Vondrousova, however, Raducanu showed more conviction. Or perhaps it was the other way around. Either way, Raducanu began to mix an eclectic selection of shots with the necessary aggression to force Vondrousova to err more and more, until the break came and gave Raducanu a 4-2 lead.

Perhaps Raducanu had not yet calibrated the scales of deftness and aggression, though; she lacked a little ruthlessness as she was broken right back by Vondrousova.

Still, Raducanu continued to improve and brought up double break point in Vondrousova’s next service game. The Czech, to her credit, saved both, before saving a third with an ace. But she had created the third herself with a double-fault, and another of those handed the home favourite a fourth break point.

The crowd was, in the simplest terms, up for it – yet not outright raucous, as if not wishing to place pressure on the 22-year-old, if that is not too deep a reading of the dynamic. But the fans let out their loudest cheer yet to soundtrack Raducanu’s break of serve as she finally moved to 5-3. Raducanu herself soundtracked the moment with an emphatic “come on!”

And this Centre Court crowd, while perhaps wanting to handle Raducanu with care, dialled up the volume ever so slightly again as she converted set point at the third time of asking. If both players had struggled to be ruthless on serve, it was Raducanu who ratcheted it up at the decisive juncture.

At 0-30 in the first game of the second set, the ball was nothing but a neon-green blur as Raducanu fizzed it cross-court for a winner, a visual that would recur as the match progressed. There were even shades of her soon-to-be doubles partner Carlos Alcaraz, as she casually nudged a drop shot over the net from further back, though it landed barely wide of the chalk.

At 1-1 in the second set, a break point went begging for the Briton, then another as she desperately clipped the tape but did not get the luck of the fall. But the “ooo”s around the ground became “woo”s when Raducanu converted on her third attempt, ecstasy diffusing through the stands.

The crowd was struggling to contain itself as victory became an ever-clearer prospect, and that might have marked a relapse: a swift return to the Raducanu viewing experience of attaching oneself to the outcome. Still, Raducanu was giving the fans reason to be hopeful.

And from there, it was all so… easy as 2-1 became 3-1, and soon 4-2. Even in losing a point, Raducanu brought joy to the crowd, returning two smashes and almost forging a trilogy of escapes. A couple of points later, Raducanu did the same again but this time found the right lob to put Vondrousova on the back foot, before turning the tables with a backhand winner in the corner.

At 5-3, Raducanu brought up break point and, suddenly, match point, and the crowd could not contain itself before the point had even been played. They had more cause to cheer and whistle jubilantly seconds later, when Raducanu sealed victory.

It was telling that Raducanu, on court after her win, was asked if this was the “old” Emma. That brings us back to the start of this article. Raducanu chose not to address that element of the narrative but said: “The support, it was incredible, I really felt it today. The atmosphere was electric, and I’m just really happy that I get to play another match here.”

Aryna Sabalenka, the world No 1, awaits in the next round, but that is another match on another day. For now, let us focus on the jubilation, and the reminder of what the Emma Raducanu Experience can be.