Rising UK tennis star Emma Raducanu’s surprise win in the US Open singles final has sparked a fresh conversation around multiculturalism in Britain.

Ms Raducanu was born in Toronto to a Chinese mother and a Romanian father. She moved to the UK as a two-year-old.

After the successes of a wave of diverse British sporting stars, Ms Raducanu is being hailed as the face of a new proudly multicultural UK.

England’s football team which reached the final of the European Championships contained eight players from diverse backgrounds.

After the US Open match, the mayor of London Sadiq tweeted that Ms Raducanu reflected “London’s story”.

“Here in London, we embrace and celebrate our diversity. And if you work hard, and get a helping hand, you can achieve anything,” he wrote.

Raducanu, herself, tweeted a picture of herself holding the UK flag in one hand and her newly acquired trophy in the other with the words “We are taking her HOMEEE”

Indeed, her twitter bio contains just four words: london|toronto|shenyang|bucharest.

She has been congratulated by everyone from the Queen to right-wing politician Nigel Farage, who was the subject of criticism by activists who pointed out that in an interview the former Ukip leader described crime statistics relating to offences

Sport England board member Chris Grant welcomed the positive coverage of the 18-year-old’s achievements in parts of the media that are openly hostile to asylum seekers legally seeking refuge from danger.

“Her victory illuminates the reality of Britishness and the delusion at the heart of their other pronouncements,” he said.

“A girl who has one Chinese parent, one Romanian parent and was born in Canada but came to Bromley at the age of two is such a normal story in this country, and one that we should be proud of.”

Executive director of the UK’s Equality Trust Wanda Wyporka said as a “half-Bajan, quarter-Polish, quarter-English” British woman, said she delighted in celebrating Raducanu’s success and talent.

“The more that people get used to the idea that Britishness is a very varied thing has to be positive,” she said.

“But my concern is that the valuing immigrants and refugees in the UK is sort of predicated on being successful and giving back a contribution rather than just being human. That’s not good for us either.”

Mr Grant said he was most heartened by the images of celebration beamed from Raducanu’s tennis club, which included families of colour.

“That a tennis club is a diverse place is socially significant in this country, and that’s happening quietly and inexorably. That’s why the Farage thing ultimately becomes irrelevant, because it’s happening anyway. If that integration has figureheads like her, that’s brilliant,” he said.