“It is my second proper clay season and the first one in three years. So I think I’m just trying to give myself a chance to play as many points as I can on it,” Emma Raducanu said, reflecting honestly on her performance after exiting the Madrid Open in the second round. Her words carried weight, especially considering her win in R128 of Madrid was her first win on clay in over a year. Raducanu went a couple of steps further in the Italian Open thereafter, making it to the Round of 16. Although she bowed out from the pre-quarterfinals with a straight-sets defeat to Coco Gauff, the Brit hasn’t let that loss dim her spirit. Flashing her trademark smile, the 22-year-old remains upbeat, determined to draw strength and lessons from the match as she eyes a stronger comeback ahead!
Clay has never been Emma Raducanu’s natural playground! Like many British players, she had limited exposure to the red dirt during her developmental years and remained relatively inexperienced on the surface. Her clash with Coco Gauff in Rome marked just the 21st clay-court match of her career, compared to 81 on hard courts.
Despite her straight-set loss to Gauff, Raducanu’s Italian Open run showed encouraging signs of progress. She defeated promising Aussie teenager Maya Joint, Swiss lucky loser Jil Teichmann, and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova to reach the last 16, in her best clay result in over a year. Coco, however, proved a tougher challenge.
Speaking to Sky Sports after her defeat to Gauff, Raducanu opened up about her mindset. Reflecting on the value of positivity, she shared why her ever-present smile has become her strength on and off the court. “It makes it more enjoyable, it makes it more sustainable, it doesn’t make I guess the losses feel as bad because I just know that every day I’m trying to be the best version of myself,” Emma said, with her characteristic resilience shining through.
The Brit also highlighted how she aims to take the positives from every experience despite losses. “I’m trying to win the day and I’ve kind of gone back to that and yeah, didn’t win on the match court today, but I’m going to find a way to win the day. Today it was a tough one in the office. I just have to take a lot of positives and I am getting out more, I am enjoying myself and taking it in wherever I go because it is tough on the road. So I think just trying to find small pockets of the day, small glimmers to make it more enjoyable,” she added, embracing a mature and mindful approach to life on the WTA tour.
Raducanu has looked increasingly composed on and off the court as the season has progressed. Since bringing Mark Petchey into her team in an informal role, alongside her longtime confidant Jane O’Donoghue, she has shown renewed energy. The former US Open champion has won 8 of her last 11 matches with this team dynamic, suggesting a strong chemistry. However, with Petchey’s commentary commitments, the setup may not be the permanent situation for her in the future.
Now, Raducanu will shift her focus to Roland Garros, which kicks off on May 25. But before that, she shed light on how her approach towards the sport has changed over the years.
Emma Raducanu Opens Up on How Obsession Held Her Back
From her historic 2021 US Open triumph, becoming the first British woman to win a singles major since Virginia Wade in 1977, to navigating injuries and inconsistency on court, Emma Raducanu’s journey has been a rollercoaster! The pressures of maintaining a high ranking and living up to expectations took a toll. Yet this season, Raducanu has participated in 9 tournaments and 18 matches so far, showing signs of steady progress.
With a 10-8 win-loss record this year, Raducanu’s standout performance came at the Miami Open recently, where she reached the QF, including an impressive win over the World No. 9 Emma Navarro. After Miami, she opted out of Great Britain’s BJK tie and instead focused on training in Los Angeles with her part-time coach, Mark Petchey.
Speaking to Tennis Channel after her R64 win against Jil Teichmann in Italy, Raducanu opened up about how she’s learning to balance life and sport: “Yeah, I’m a lot better now. I think when I was a bit younger, after the US Open and stuff, I was so focused, so locked in, and almost too locked in. I was too intense the whole time, the whole day, and you know I wouldn’t leave the room the day before I played the match in the evening because I was like ‘No, I got to focus’ because I’m playing a match tomorrow,”
Given the considerable improvement in her form during the first half of the season, do you think Raducanu can win a title this season? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post “Tough on the Road”- Emma Raducanu Turns to a Powerful Philosophy After Grueling Loss Against Coco Gauff appeared first on EssentiallySports.
