‘Wiser’ Emma Raducanu reflects on ‘twisted expectations’ after remarkable US Open triumph

Emma Raducanu is ready to ‘start over’ if that’s what it takes to get her back to the levels that won her the US Open

Emma Raducanu was in reflective mood at the Washington Open this week where she’s looking to build her form in advance of an attempt to retain her epic US Open trophy from 2021 where she became the first tennis player in history to win a Grand Slam title as a qualifier.

The expectation on Raducanu has been unheralded throughout 2022 as fans and the media followed her every shot. But the young Brit has always been honest about the challenges that lay ahead and she reiterated her thoughts during an interview after her first round victory in Washington.

“I feel wiser now compared to just after the US Open and the beginning of this year, because I think that no matter what I said, I probably did have certain expectations of myself that were probably a bit twisted.

“Now I genuinely just accept it. Okay, it’s not going to be pretty necessarily or easy, but I’m like 100% okay for starting over, to be honest. Like if my ranking plummets to like 1000 and whatever, then I don’t care. I know that being a US Open champ I’m going to somehow pull my way back up there. It’s going to take a bit of time maybe, but I’m just really accepting of that and looking forward to whatever journey it takes.”

Raducanu faces the prospect of losing 2,000 ranking points if she doesn’t retain her US Open title which would see her drop down the world rankings considerably which in turn would effect her ability to gain entry into certain tournaments.

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