Emma Raducanu is hoping a new approach will yield results as she hopes that being fearless will help her achieve her goals.
If Raducanu actually plays without fear on the court, as she has demonstrated in the past, she can be very difficult to manage. She is now looking to regain some of the bravery that allowed her to win her first grand slam at the US Open.
“I started hitting quite late,” said Raducanu about her offseason. “I did two months of physical, like gym work. Tennis I started hitting properly again [on December 9], so it was pretty soon, and I started playing points like literally [a few days later.]"
Working on her body was by design because she needed to get stronger after an injury-ridden season. She also dealt with a wrist problem that needed time to heal. Her tennis is also slowly getting there:
“I think right now because I’m still trying to find my timing and groove and my tennis, it’s a bit early to tell. But once I settle into that I think the physical side will definitely have made a difference because there’s no way it can’t have.”
When it comes to goals, Raducanu has her sights set on winning a trophy: "For a results goal I’d say it’s to win a title, and three I’d say is to be playing fearless tennis. Just not thinking about the consequences. Just going for it. That’s my goal for this year.”