Emma Raducanu ‘Enjoying Life’ Again After ‘Horrible’ 2023 Ahead Of Wimbledon – ‘Big Shift In My Attitude’
Emma Raducanu finally appears to have turned a corner after a series of injury setbacks in 2023. She is now preparing for a highly anticipated return to Wimbledon after several encouraging displays on grass in the early part of the summer in Nottingham and Eastbourne. The 21-year-old is now focused on enjoying her tennis, taking more of a relaxed approach to the game.
Emma Raducanu says she is “enjoying life” again after a largely positive build-up to Wimbledon, following a “horrible” year in 2023.
The 21-year-old is gearing up for a return to the All England Club after consigning an injury-plagued past 12 months to the past.
She begins with a tricky first-round tie against 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, but that task seemingly pales into insignificance considering the ordeal which Raducanu was faced with in her task of getting back to competing regularly.
Last year saw Raducanu go under the knife for ankle and wrist surgery, and suffered the tortuous ordeal of being at Wimbledon without competing by undertaking obligatory sponsorship requirements. “I was horrible. Like, it was horrible. I think I’m just so grateful to be on the other side of it,” she said in an interview with the Guardian.
Raducanu continued: “I think going there was really rubbing salt into the wound, but I guess it was part of my obligations to do it, and I’m just very happy to be actually playing.
Look who’s here #Wimbledon | @EmmaRaducanu pic.twitter.com/njVbfjpiz3
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 28, 2024
“Now I can just play and keep going, and I feel lighter in myself, which is great, and I think in the last two weeks it’s been a big shift in just my attitude, and I think I’m just enjoying life, enjoying tennis a lot more.”
The 2021 US Open champion has made impressive progress on grass, after reaching the semi-finals in Nottingham and the quarters at Eastbourne.
She was defeated by British No. 1 Katie Boulter in the East Midlands, before succumbing to Daria Kasatkina in the notoriously windy conditions on the East Sussex coast.
However, she can also reflect on her first win against a top-10 ranked opponent after dispatching world No. 5 Jessica Pegula in three sets. Raducanu wants to show the fans at Wimbledon that she is in “a good place” and to bring back the carefree element in her game that was clear to see in her stunning 2021 Grand Slam success in New York.
“I would say that I just really want them to see that I’m putting my personality on the court, my character, being bubbly, happy, energetic,” Raducanu said. “I think you can really tell the difference, especially with me, when I’m in a good place compared to when I’m struggling a little bit more with confidence or something.
“And I think now I want them to see I’m happy – certain engagement in the points in big moments, like I remember 2021 was a prime example. I won the point, I thought it was a practice, I dropped my racket, and I was like, ‘how did that fly out of my hand?’ But just moments like that, I’m just really playing the game and enjoying the sport.”
