Raducanu admits what her priority is today

Seeing Emma Raducanu make it to the second week at this latest Wimbledon has stirred excitement about her future once again, especially after her victory at the 2021 US Open. It’s true that the British player presents a very different image now, but only she knows the struggles she faced in 2023 after undergoing surgery on both wrists and dealing with various physical and personal setbacks. In an interview with Tennis Magazin, she touches on these issues, although not delving too deeply. What matters is that she appears more committed than ever to tennis, even if her current goals don’t necessarily revolve around achieving great results.

Time off the circuit in 2023
“During the initial weeks, I couldn’t do much besides travel and attend some sponsorship events. Time flew by so fast that it didn’t feel like a long vacation, especially because rehabilitation exercises often consumed the whole day, which could get very tedious. It was nice to have the chance to visit my family in China; there, I learned new things like playing the piano and painting. I always dreamed of doing those two things when I was a child, but I never had the time, so that was the positive aspect of my injury.”

Personal growth
“I learned a lot about myself. I learned to feel good beyond tennis, where you always need to be fit and hungry. This doesn’t always happen necessarily during training and matches, where I have to maintain that edge and spark in my game… although after the break, I was eager to get back to playing. It can be exhausting to play week after week on the tour, meeting all the obligations that come with being a professional tennis player. For me, the best solution is to do things my way; that’s what has always worked for me.”

What is success?
“The concept has changed for me; in the long run, it means staying healthy. It’s about doing everything possible not just to train hard but to train smart to stay injury-free. I experienced firsthand how time passes when you can’t train or play for a long time. It’s not a fun situation, for sure. Success means doing everything in my power to ensure that I am in a position to train and stay healthy.”

Keeping a smile despite numerous setbacks
“It’s a challenge, but I’m close to finding my way and learning new lessons. Learning how to handle certain situations, how to react to them. I have had to learn all of this in the eyes of the world, where learning comes after the results. For most young players, learning comes first and then results, but in my case, it happened the other way around with the US Open title, from which I had to learn in retrospect. In the end, you see it as a blessing because most tennis players have to struggle financially at the beginning of their careers, but thanks to that title, I no longer had that problem. At my young age, I have as many life experiences as some 40-year-olds, so I am very grateful and happy.”

Evolution of women’s tennis
“In the last three years, the depth of women’s tennis has greatly increased. There are more and more players who can win every tournament, as the results show. Of course, there are some dominant players on the tour, but victory and defeat are always close. Many players’ levels depend on various factors, including current form. I experienced it myself at the 2021 US Open, where my form was fantastic for three weeks, allowing me to win one of the biggest tournaments in the world. What has greatly improved are the defensive qualities of the players; they have improved a lot since my time in tennis. Each player is now an athlete and has better skills on the court, so I will also need to learn from that.”

Challenges for 2024
“I have reassessed my goals for this year several times; I think my goals change quite a bit. My priority is to develop my game, which means I probably won’t play too many tournaments this year. I don’t want to make up for lost time in 2023 just by playing tournaments; it’s about building a solid and important foundation to be in good physical and playing condition over the next few years.”