Emma Raducanu ‘has something on her mind’ which is hindering her Wimbledon fitness race claims expert
Leading Sports Psychologist Don Macpherson has argued that the ongoing injury issues for Emma Raducanu may also be affected by her mind as well as the physical side of the game.
The Bromley born teen has been blighted by injuries throughout 2022.
She struggled with a blister on her racket hand in the Australian Open second-round defeat and also retired with a leg injury from a lengthy opening-round match in Mexico.
The British teenager’s Billie Jean King Cup debut also ended in painful fashion last month when she was hampered by a blister on her foot.
Her most recent injury scare came earlier this month when Emma Raducanu was forced to retire with a side injury just seven games into her match against Viktorija Golubic at the Nottingham Open.
The 19-year-old, who was expected to take part at the tournament in Eastbourne, had until 16:00 BST on Friday to request a wild card but did not appear on the list and is now facing a fitness race to be ready for this year’s Summer Slam.
Discussing Raducanu’s ongoing injury woes, leading mind coach Don Macpherson believes stress is also a contributing factor to the British number ones injury problems.
In a recent interview, Macpherson told reporters, “I’m not saying she is making these injuries up – they are real for sure – but they are almost certainly also anxiety-related.
“Pressure is a privilege but at the moment it isn’t for Raducanu. She will say everything is cool and I’m sure she genuinely believes that, but I have studied body language and I would say she doesn’t look relaxed, she seems to have something on her mind. To me it looks as though her mind does not trust her body, and when the mind and body are not in sync it is impossible to be at your very best, whatever the challenge.
“If there is a problem within the mind it will affect the body, and equally if there is a physical problem then the mind will be unable to focus 100 per cent on the task in hand. The bigger the mind/body disconnect, the more likely the drop in performance.
“Anxiety tightens the body up. I’ve had this in racing drivers who get strange injuries near a big race or upset tummies. In my opinion, reducing mental pressure, especially near big tournaments, will give her body a better chance of dealing with the physical stress.”
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