Emma Raducanu: I’m not too concerned about this year’s tournaments
Emma Raducanu has suggested that she is not intending to drop down a level, with the Brit not wanting to ‘follow the crowd’.
Raducanu spent eight months on the injury sidelines last year, after undergoing surgeries to both wrists and her left ankle.
opa. 3/3❤️???? 🙂 pic.twitter.com/YbXQS5PZtX
— Emma Raducanu (@EmmaRaducanu) May 15, 2023
The 21-year-old returned in January at the Auckland Classic, before making her Grand Slam comeback at the Australian Open.
Following a second round defeat at the Melbourne major, Raducanu competed at tournaments in Abu Dhabi and Doha, before heading home after revealing she wanted to get more practice.
And it seems as though that is the general theme Raducanu is going for this year, with the world No.250 speaking to BBC Spor about her plans, “I want to work on becoming a better tennis player.”
Raducanu continued, “I think for me, I’m not too concerned about this year’s tournaments. A lot of people out there would say that I need matches, but I think that for me, I want to work on my game and development.
“Taking time to do that is very necessary and not just following the crowd, or playing a lot of matches, or dropping down [below the WTA Tour] to do that. I want to work on developing skills.”
The 2021 US Open champion is now in California for Indian Wells, after receiving wildcards for both sunshine double events, with the Brit defending nearly 40% of her ranking points after reaching the fourth round last year in the desert.
Indian Wells ???? @EmmaRaducanu
Emma has received a wild card for the @BNPPARIBASOPEN ????#BackTheBrits ???????? pic.twitter.com/Z3ApThJUkf
— LTA (@the_LTA) March 1, 2024
Raducanu will begin her Indian Wells campaign on Thursday, when she takes on Spanish qualifier Rebeka Masarova in the first round.
Inside the baseline…
It is an interesting perspective that Emma Raducanu has on her current situation, and at the end of the day she knows how she is feeling better than anyone else. As much as it is great to get practice in and improve your game, matchplay is always going to be the best way to help improve physicality and sharpness, etc. Hopefully Raducanu can have a decent few weeks in Indian Wells and Miami, to at least to try and defend a decent proportion of the ranking points earned last year.
READ NEXT – Indian Wells 2024 Preview: When is it, who is playing and what is the prize money?
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