Emma Raducanu recently talked about her career and opened up about going into matches less than ideally prepared.
Raducanu's career took off basically overnight with a hectic 3-month period, which included a minor breakout at Wimbledon followed by an incredible breakout at the US Open. She became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam, and she did it in style.
She played ten matches in 18 days and never dropped a single set in that run. It was just something we'd never seen before, and her run was just incredibly impressive.
Emma Raducanu's 2021 US Open Run:
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Bibiane Schoofs | 6-1 6-2 |
| Q2 | Mariam Bolkvadze | 6-3 7-5 |
| Q3 | Mayar Sherif | 6-1 6-4 |
| R128 | Stefanie Voegele | 6-2 6-3 |
| R64 | Shaui Zhang | 6-2 6-4 |
| R32 | Sara Sorribes Tormo | 6-0 6-1 |
| R16 | Shelby Rogers | 6-2 6-1 |
| QF | Belinda Bencic | 6-3 6-4 |
| SF | Maria Sakkari | 6-1 6-4 |
| F | Leylah Fernandez | 6-4 6-3 |
It was an impressive run, but it also put enormous pressure on the Brith, who was expected to be the "next big thing." The reality was a bit different, and many experienced tennis players cautioned against expecting her to keep dominating.
It was just one of those historic runs like the one of Goran Ivanisevic at Wimbledon in 2001. Recently, Raducanu sat down with Porsche, one of her main sponsors, and talked about her journey.
"Everything did flip overnight and all of a sudden you’re being watched, everything is being watched."
What happened in New York can happen again for Raducanu as the talent is there, but certain things need to be addressed. Rather quickly, it was apparent that her body was not strong enough to play tennis regularly. Injuries started to pile up, culminating in a triple surgery. It was something she knew was needed.
"I knew for a while before I did the surgeries that I needed it. I was only practicing 45 minutes a day. I couldn’t practice everything I wanted to because of the pain. I felt very undercooked when I would go into matches and unprepared. That was the most difficult thing mentally for me to take."
She peaked in New York before she was ready, and everything she had done since the surgery was her preparation for becoming a professional tennis player. Fully healthy, dedicated to practice, and getting ready to win consistently.
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