Raducanu: ‘We really back ourselves here’
14/11/2024 11:12
Emma Raducanu is motivated and up for the challenge as Great Britain face Germany in the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Finals
By Molly McElwee
Emma Raducanu is putting her latest injury behind her and is “ready” to go in Malaga, according to British captain Anne Keothavong.
Raducanu, who turned 22 on Wednesday, spent the best part of the last two months sidelined by a foot injury. It was an unfortunate setback after a few months of building her way back to the top of the sport. It also brought back some harsh memories from last season.
From April 2023 the season was mostly a write-off for Raducanu. She underwent surgeries on her wrists and ankle, and was confined exclusively to the practice courts once she was back on her feet.
It was a long journey back, including a dispiriting drop down the rankings. In January of this year she was as low as world No 301 – far from the heights of winning the US Open in 2021.
But 2024 has been a boost for Raducanu, and all about finding stability. She added her childhood coach Nick Cavaday to her team late last season and has been plugging away ever since and is now perched inside the top 60. Highlights included four WTA quarter-finals, a semi-final in Nottingham and equalling her career-best result at Wimbledon by reaching the last 16.
For a player who was only able to complete eight matches the previous season, it felt like progress. “It feels good. I’m happy, I think I’m ranked 50-odd in the world and I haven’t even played a full season so it holds me in pretty good stead for next year, to enter some main events.
“I’m looking forward to building, putting in a really good pre-season, and setting off next year to hopefully be able to play a full season and put some good work in on the road too.”
Missing most of the Asia swing in October – where Raducanu had high hopes of making an impact – gave her some valuable lessons, she says. “I think the biggest takeaway is just that it’s not like there’s any magic secret - it’s [about] consistency, and due to a couple of injuries this year it’s probably something I lacked a little bit of.
“I’m looking forward to next year, hopefully having a better set-up in place to provide that. Also, I think I hopefully can play some more tournaments too. This year I missed a few which, looking back, I might have played. So just putting myself out there a bit more.”
One of her 2024 highlights was winning two points in Great Britain’s qualifier against France in April, propelling the team to an unlikely 3-1 victory. All three of those points were won after she and British No 1 Katie Boulter fell to one-set deficits, and Raducanu says the team format enhances her will to compete. She will hope to show that if she plays in Great Britain’s opener against Germany on Friday night.
“I think something about the team competition is that, even when you’re down - like, I was a set down in both matches - you keep fighting. It’s not that you wouldn’t necessarily want to in a normal tournament, but it’s just that extra motivation to fight right until the end.
“It’s surprising how certain matches can turn. I was a set and a break down and all of a sudden came back and won in three [sets], it was a crucial tie to win. I think you give that something extra even if the scoreboard is against you.
“I think we really back ourselves here. We have Boults who is a massive ball striker, it’s indoor tennis, she’s been playing really well in Asia, she won a lot of matches so I think she’s feeling really confident.
“I put a few really good weeks of training in, so I think I’m feeling quite confident in how I’m playing. For me, it will be just about adjusting to playing matches again. It’s been a few months, so I’m intrigued to see how that goes.”
