Emma Raducanu is no stranger to bizarre choices, but her last decision left even her most ardent supporters puzzled about her intentions.
Everything the British player has done this year must be examined through the lens of what happened last year. Last year, she played in the first few months but didn't perform too well. Some physical problems bothered her and ultimately forced her to undergo triple surgery.
She wouldn't return until earlier this year, and her main priority since returning was to remain healthy. Playing regularly and remaining healthy is what matters most to her this year, and she's been able to do so so far.
Her schedule hasn't been very packed, and that's likely by design. After all, she skipped the Paris Olympics, which puzzled many of her fans as it's not a tournament that athletes generally skip lightheartedly.
It's not the first time she has done something that leaves many people confused, and it certainly is not the last time because the last time came a few days ago when Raducanu opted against playing in the Cincinnati Open qualifiers.
The Brit skipped over the Olympics in favor of the Citi Open in Washington, and it made sense. She wanted to prepare for the US Open but had a problem. She couldn't play at the Canadian Open as her ranking wasn't good enough.
She had a chance at the Cincinnati Open but wasn't interested in playing the qualifiers. She instead opted to fly back to London, which was a bit strange as she will need to get back to the United States fairly quickly.
The more pressing matter was her skipping a chance to play more matches ahead of the US Open. Former WTA player and Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig questioned her decision during her recent appearance on the Tennis Channel.
"We never really have to shy away from qualifying. It doesn't mean you're less than by any means, but getting those extra matches is what Emma, I feel like, needs at this moment to get that momentum going into the US Open."
According to some reports, Raducanu's team was happy with how the Citi Open run unfolded, and they felt like it was enough preparation for the US Open. It might be, but as Puig pointed out, the more matches a player has, the better they will feel.
Many players have spoken about how practices can't compare with matches, but it seems like Raducanu thinks otherwise.
"Let's just call it like it is: practice is practice, but playing in a match situation is something that can't be replicated in practice, and it can only be done while competing, so I am not really sure what the play was here, but hopefully, she can find her form heading into the US Open."
Raducanu has always been a stubborn player. She generally does things how she wants to. She doesn't care much for outside advice, and she will just keep doing what she thinks is better. At the end of the day, it might pay off.
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