Emma Raducanu’s on and off-court motto is the same: Pass every exam and challenge in front of her! The Brit has weathered every storm. However, juggling both worlds is a difficult task. Raducanu had to choose between rigorous training or preparing for her exams. Although she came through in her ‘A’ exam, the teen fell short for “gym work” before the U.S. Open. Referring to this, the former Wimbledon semifinalist Tin Henman spoke about the critical “schedule” and her hard work before that match.

As Wimbledon draws near, Raducanu is hoping to earn her career’s second Grand Slam. Tin Henman, her fellow countryman and a former tennis pro, has full faith in her! Citing the example of her 2021 U.S. Open performance, he candidly said, “When you wind the clock back to when she qualified and won the US Open, she didn’t have a physical foundation to build from because of having studied for her A-levels, and she hadn’t had the opportunity to put the gym work in.”

As he mentioned, Raducanu, who was only 18 at the time, had to balance her schedule to keep both her dreams alive, on and off the court. When she came into the U.S. Open in 2021, it was merely a few weeks after she gave her ‘A-levels,’ an exam that Brits take to enter a university for higher studies. As a result, the player who was then ranked No. 150 did not have enough time to put in her work and get in better and stronger physical shape. Nevertheless, she thrived, and after defeating Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3, the teen became the first qualifier in tennis history to win a slam in the Open Era. 

A few weeks prior to her victory, she was studying at the Newstead Wood School; she sailed through all the challenges and aced her first test at Arthur Ashe Stadium. She strategically balanced both her academic field and sporting career, and later said, “I always have my education as a backup. I was doing it alongside my tennis, I had options. I still do. But obviously I’m a hundred percent in my tennis now.” 

However, soon, injuries plagued her, and she underwent ankle and wrist surgery in 2023, keeping herself away from the Tour for many months. After a challenging period, the former British No. 1 is back with her ‘A’ game on-court. Referring to her clay court performance in Madrid, Tim Henman, who has confidence in the 21-year-old’s talent on grass, said, “The clay court tennis that she did play I thought she played exceptionally well. So moving on to grass it’s a good surface for her. She likes to dictate, she likes to be proactive.”

Furthermore, the 49-year-old, sympathizing with Raducanu’s zeal to perform better, added, “When you move on to a specific case like Raducanu, with the surgeries that she’s had, I think she’s been working incredibly hard physically to improve her fitness and her resilience.” Emma Raducanu has also made her goal for this season clear!

Emma Raducanu wants fans to see her “energetic” side at Wimbledon

Although her WTA rank has dropped to 168, Emma Raducanu is not ready to yield. After withdrawing from the Olympics and skipping the French Open, the Brit has entered the grass-court season with new zeal. The semifinalist at Nottingham is coming to the green-courts at Wimbledon after a quarterfinal exit in the Eastbourne International.

Speaking about her goal for Wimbledon, she said, “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,” referring to her fans. She further added, “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.”

Overcoming all the obstacles, Brit is now moving forward with her goal of winning her first-ever Wimbledon title. Unlike a few years ago, now, she has months of physical training to back her up on the grass. Will she be able to grab the title? Only time will tell.