“I think success to me in the long-term is, for the rest of the year, to play a full season, to be healthy throughout” – Raducanu grateful as she returns to Melbourne
The Brit plays American Shelby Rogers in the first round of the Australian Open
Emma Navarro at the 2024 Women’s ASB Classic
Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu is back on the tour after eight months away due to multiple surgeries. While tennis fans and pundits will be closely following her comeback and seeing if she can replicate the success of her stunning 2021 US Open triumph, the 21-year-old has other goals in mind for the new season.
“I think success to me in the long-term is, for the rest of the year, to play a full season, to be healthy throughout, to be able to train consistent weeks,” Raducanu told the media in Melbourne on Friday. “I know my level is there, I just need to keep working on it to make it more consistent. I think that will come with time in the gym, time on court, being able to play the calendar, not thinking about, Will I have to pull out from this one, does that hurt. Just being able to go consistently throughout the year.”
“Physically I feel good. I did a lot of good work in the off-season” – Raducanu
Raducanu’s first tournament back last week saw her win a round and then push eventual runner-up Elina Svitolina to three sets. After being on crutches after her surgery, Raducanu says she feels a new sense of gratitude.
“Physically I feel good. I did a lot of good work in the off-season. But I think that regardless of how good I may feel on the court on a particular day or in practice, I think to get that level of consistency is going to require more time. So, yeah, I’ve been doing the right work, doing it consistently. I just need to keep going like more and more. But, yeah, I feel good on court and in the gym.”
“It just puts things into perspective. The feeling of not being able to move your body, like to walk to the kitchen to get a snack, for example, I couldn’t do it,” the Brit said. “And you miss it. You don’t really realize until you go through it yourself, no matter how many different athletes say, Be grateful, appreciate being healthy. Like, of course it’s nice to hear, nice to say, but I feel until you actually experience it yourself, it’s different.”
I feel a lot lighter now than I did for a long time after US Open. I feel like I’m not playing with a backpack of rocks.
With her difficult past two seasons, the expectations around Raducanu are a lot more tempered and realistic these days. The Brit admits she feels much lighter now that the weight of that US Open win is finally off her shoulders.
“I feel a lot lighter now than I did for a long time after US Open. I feel like I’m not playing with a backpack of rocks. I feel pretty light and happy. Reflecting on the past, I think people are very important, like the people who I surround myself is maybe sometimes even more so… I think surrounding yourself with competent and knowledgeable people is of course really important, but also the type of person and their character is big-time, just making sure we really get on and intentions are really good.”
Raducanu begins her Australian Open campaign against seasoned American Shelby Rogers in the opening round on Monday.
