Emma Raducanu Responds to Ex-No. 1's Criticism, Explains Absence After Miami Open
NewsWednesday, 23 April 2025 at 13:51
Emma Raducanu chose to spend some time away from the courts after her success at the Miami Open, and she now explained why.
Raducanu made it to the quarter-finals of the WTA 1000 tournament in Miami. It was her best run since she won the US Open in 2021, and a run that certainly helped her to regain some confidence.
Surprisingly, she didn't follow up on that run in the following weeks, as the British player missed all the action leading up to the Madrid Open, which was an unexpected decision.
So much so that Raducanu was criticized by former ATP World No. 1 player, Andy Roddick, who couldn't understand the decision made by Raducanu.
The 2021 US Open champion now had a chance to respond to that criticism in an interview with the British broadcaster Sky Sports ahead of the 2025 Madrid Open. She explained that she focused on not overdoing things, taking all the needed rest.
"I've realised now that less is more for me sometimes. I work really intense and really hard and can definitely be partial to overkilling it sometimes. It's just making sure when I'm on the court I'm maxing out for X amount of time so I can focus, and then once I'm done, I'm switching off better."
"You hear a lot that people need matches, and I say the same thing. Matches definitely help, but there's a time and a place. There are other times where you just need to reset and get your bearings, because the season is very long. I'm trying to take it day-by-day but I knew at that point in the season [post-Miami Open] I needed some time off."
One thing that seems to be a relatively big unknown when it comes to Raducanu's career is her coaching situation. She is currently working with Mark Petchey, but as she explained, their partnership is still "informal."
"We haven't made anything formal. It's pretty informal for now, but it's something that's going really well. He's [Petchey] someone I feel I can trust because I've known him so long. For now, it's working really well, and it's nice to be with someone that I feel comfortable with."
"I'm still figuring things out: what works for me, what doesn't. What gets the best out of me. For now, I'm not getting as technical as I used to, maybe. It wasn't the best start to the season for me, and it was just nice to rest the body."
"At the same time, I needed time to get used to a new surface, because it is very different and it isn't a surface I've spent a lot of time on. I was just working on movement and adapting and getting used to the court surface."
"I feel like in the future, and I've always said this, it can be a good surface for me I just need to keep spending some more time on it. I did some great work with Mark out there, it was nice to be around him, not just on the court."
"He's someone I get on really well with and we always have very thought-provoking, interesting conversations. "It was a perfect balance of work and being relaxed off the court."
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