Emma Raducanu opens up on how she has ‘matured a lot’ in recent weeks after her career hit yet another stumbling block with injury in Korea

Emma Raducanu has opened up on how ‘maturing’ in recent weeks has helped equip with some of the most important skills she will need throughout the rest of her tennis career. Raducanu shot to superstardom almost overnight, when she lifted the US Open singles title in New York three years ago, having come into the tournament as a qualifier and No 150 in the world.

Since that point, however, it has not all been plain sailing, with the Brit struggling against injuries and the realities of a place on the women’s senior tour – something she had not even done prior to her stunning achievements ever, though, with the territory of being one of the biggest names in the sport, come plenty of further responsibilities away from the court, and juggling those has proven to be one of the more prevalent discussions around the 21-year-old’s progress.

To negotiate such a multitude of hurdles at such a young age is likely near impossible for anyone, though in an interview with Women’s Health, Raducanu revealed how she feels a huge amount of progress has been made towards that goal, in just a few weeks. ‘There has been a lot of volatility over the past three years,’ she admitted. ‘And I think the most I’ve come into myself has been in the last few weeks. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is non-attachment; acknowledging that everything comes and goes.

‘Every moment is fleeting, and how you interact with the present dictates how you feel, the quality of your work, the quality of your relationships, and how much the people around you enjoy being with you. ‘I’ve taught myself not to label things as black or white. For example, with this injury, I’m trying to catch myself and stop labelling it as like, “Oh, I’m so unlucky, this is so bad.” I’ve learnt to accept things and reframe them.

‘I’m not completely unable to exercise, so I’ll still do things like yoga or Pilates – low-impact exercise, so I’m focusing on that. I’ve matured a lot in the last few weeks, to be honest.’ In recent weeks, Raducanu has opted out of taking part in the WTA competition in China after spraining foot ligaments in Korea, the latest in a long string of fitness issues that have impacted her career, which is still in its infancy.

Since her triumph at Flushing Meadows, Raducanu has only been beyond the second round at a grand slam on one occasion.
A fourth round finish at Wimbledon this summer stands alone after reaching the second round in Australia for each of the last three years, and in Paris once in 2022. But Raducanu outlined that placing emphasis on her mental wellbeing is crucial to ‘cultivate’ her mind and remained centred amid the chaos of the professional tennis scene.

Having been through such big changes, wellness to me now is the inner stillness I feel. For me, that might mean doing hot yoga, reading, learning, studying – anything to cultivate my mind. ‘I take confidence from doing things that really enrich my mind and body and how peaceful I feel.’