Emma Raducanu, with her remarkable journey at the Billie Jean King Cup, has made headlines in the tennis world. The former US Open champion, after defeating France on Saturday, admitted to having been playing the best tennis of her life. Raducanu further revealed her “key principle” for overcoming the stressful conditions on-court.
Raducanu has battled with her fitness and health since winning the US Open in 2021 at 18. After that, she failed to advance past the second round of any grand slam, eventually having surgery in May 2023 on both wrists and one ankle. Healing from the setback, this was the first time she played consecutive tennis matches. Referring to her practice sessions before the match, Raducanu said, “My principle is to work hard during the training weeks.”
Currently ranked World No. 302, Raducanu is slowly gaining her form back. After her comeback, she shared her fresh and pragmatic approach to tennis, remarking, “I don’t gain self-confidence in tournament matches. That’s just the stress test. I gain confidence in training.” This disclosure provided insights into Raducanu’s philosophy and her quest for progress, even in the face of adversity.
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Emma Raducanu also revealed how she feels about slowly approaching her normal form in tennis. Citing examples of former World No. 1 players, Raducanu shared the precious expertise that she gained from them. Andy Roddick, for instance, advised her to practice more matches on the second-rate Challenger tour.
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With her coach, Nick Cavaday, by her side, Raducanu expressed how she is trying to build more trust in the process of training. And the result of her hard work was visible during the finals of the Billie Jean Cup. After the match, she acknowledged their well-deserved victory and her team’s efforts in the game.
“I knew it would pay off eventually,” says Emma Raducanu after the Billie Jean Cup victory
Emma Raducanu advanced the British team nearly single-handedly into the last round of the Billie Jean King Cup. The match was against France, where she gracefully defeated Diane Parry and Caroline Garcia in three sets. After a streak of strenuous consecutive matches, Raducanu revealed the hard work of the team that goes behind such a victory.
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“To be able to put two matches like that back-to-back, three sets on clay against really tough opponents, it’s just testament to the work we’ve been doing,” Raducanu said, further adding, “I knew it would pay off eventually, so I’m very pleased that this weekend it was able to show.”
After this incredible victory, fans will again witness Raducanu’s exceptional performance in the Stuttgart Open. There, she will compete against the former Wimbledon winner, Angelique Kerber. As she gradually regains her position on the court, her story remains an inspiration to many tennis fans. With consistent hard work in practice sessions, she is ready to make her presence known in the sport.