Emma Raducanu surprised many people with how she handled her 2024 US Open preparation, but the Brit clarified her ideas after her return to Flushing Meadows.
Raducanu will always remain a player closely followed during the US Open because she made history at the event. It's been three years since then, and the Brit hasn't blossomed into a superstar yet.
Her brand image is strong, but that means nothing on the tennis courts. Injury problems contributed greatly to her career, not taking off as some thought it would, but she's been healthy and has been playing inspired tennis this year.
The most recent time we've seen her on the tennis courts was at the Citi Open in Washington, where she played well, making the quarter-final of the WTA 500 event, where eventual champion Paula Badosa beat her.
Despite playing well in Washington, Raducanu didn't play at the Canadian Open in Toronto, because it felt rushed to her. She would have flown to the city on Saturday and played on Sunday, which seemed a bit rushed. She has been notoriously careful this year not to push herself too much.
"I didn't play in Toronto because it was such a tight turnaround, but of course, I would have loved to. I have a Canadian passport, but I would have to fly Saturday and play Sunday, which would have been too tight of a turnover. I have always done things a little bit differently."
The goal was to remain healthy after a full tennis season, and so far, she has been able to do that. Part of that was a strict schedule, which has been relatively light, but that's by design. She was never a player who would play a packed schedule and never will be because that's just not how she does things.
"I mix and match. It depends. I don't think I'll ever be a player who plays 30 events a year. That's not my style. It never has been. When I was playing juniors, I would only play a few tournaments."
"Play the Slams, and go to school. Even when I won the US Open, I only played a few tournaments that year. I was not in a big rush to play loads."
The most interesting choice about Raducanu's pre-US Opens schedule was not playing at the Cincinnati Open. Cincinnati has a court fairly similar to the one in New York, so many players go there to get a feel for what might await them in New York.
Despite being in the United States, Raducanu opted to fly back home to the United Kingdom, which raised some eyebrows. When asked about it, she explained that it was just a team decision after they concluded that she wouldn't be playing in Cincinnati.
"It was difficult for me to play a week before this because I didn't want to risk picking anything up and then delaying my chances to fully fit for the US Open. We all thought it would be best to just go home and do things there."
There were reports, though, that she would have played had she gotten a wild card entry.
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