Emma Raducanu is into the last-16 of the US Open (Picture: TPN/Getty Images)

The hype around British sensation Emma Raducanu is ‘real’ according to 18-time Grand Slam singles champion Martina Navratilova.

The 18-year-old is gearing up for her last-16 US Open match with American Shelby Rogers as she continues her rise up the world rankings.

Raducanu, who made headlines at Wimbledon this year when she reached the same stage ranked then as the world No. 338, has made light work of her opponents so far.

Her last match saw her drop one game as she recorded a stunning 6-0, 6-1 win over Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo.

While there’s plenty of excitement among British tennis fans about Raducanu’s rise, a legend of the game in Navratilova believes there’s valid reason for it.

‘The path has opened now, of course for everybody, but Emma Raducanu, what a story,’ Navratilova told Amazon Prime.

Emma Raducanu dropped just one game against Sara Sorribes Tormo (Picture: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

‘We talked a lot about her at Wimbledon. She went back to the drawing board here this summer and she’s worked her way through qualifying and she’s hardly lost any games.