Emma Raducanu has endured a tough six months on the WTA Tour.
Raducanu began her 2026 campaign in good form, contesting her first WTA final for five years at the Transylvania Open.
Soon after, the British star contracted a viral illness, which kept her from competing for the best part of two months.
Since returning to the Tour, Raducanu has lost two consecutive singles matches: at the Strasbourg Open and Roland Garros.
Will Emma Raducanu ever reach the second week of a Grand Slam again?
The British star is now in London for the Queen’s Club Championships; and she will hope to rekindle her best form when she plays Anna Blinkova in the first round.
Emma Raducanu says if she still enjoys playing tennis
Speaking to the BBC, Raducanu began by assessing her year so far.
“It’s not been the easiest start to the year and we are already half way through,” the 2021 US Open champion admitted.
“All I can do is what I am doing each day and no matter how you feel, whether it’s good or bad, you stay consistent and show up all day and keep putting yourself in with an opportunity to do better.
“That is what I have been doing, whenever it shows I don’t know, but I am working towards it.”
The British superstar was then asked if she still enjoys playing tennis.
“I mean I don’t think you need to enjoy it all the time,” she said.
“It’s like any job, you don’t wake up every day and feel like every day is a great one, but doing the best with what you have on the day is important.
“If you have 10 per cent and maximising it and making it the best 10 per cent is really important. Some days you will wake up and it’ll be 100% and you wake up and give 100% and feel amazing.
“It’s just about being disciplined rather than motivation a lot of the time.”
As mentioned previously, Raducanu will begin her Queen’s Club campaign against Anna Blinkova.
If Raducanu – who is unseeded – defeats Blinkova, she will play Madison Inglis or seventh seed Sorana Cirstea in the second round.
Raducanu has already played Cirstea once this year. The Romanian, who is set to retire from her playing career at the end of this year, defeated Raducanu 6-0, 6-2 in the Transylvania Open final.
Emma Raducanu discusses her new coach
Last month, Raducanu announced that she had re-hired coach Andrew Richardson.
Richardson, the former world number 133, helped guide Raducanu to her sensational US Open triumph in 2021.
Do you think Emma Raducanu has made a good decision with this hire?
Could you see her winning another Grand Slam title alongside Andrew Richardson?
When asked if Richardson’s return has helped in rediscovering her enjoyment of tennis, Raducanu responded by re-iterating her faith in the British coach.
“We just get on really well,” said Raducanu.
“I have known him since I was young and fully trust him. I believe in him and he believes in me, so we have just been getting our heads down and working. That’s all we can do and have a bit of fun along the way.”
Emma Raducanu’s coaches
- Nigel Sears
- Andrew Richardson
- Torben Beltz
- Dmitry Tursunov
- Sebastian Sachs
- Nick Cavaday
- Mark Petchey
- Francisco Roig
- Mark Petchey [second stint]
- Andrew Richardson [second stint]
Raducanu is also set to compete in the Queen’s Club women’s doubles event this week alongside compatriot Katie Boulter.
The pair, humorously nicknamed ‘Boultercanu’, will play fourth seeds Shuai Zhang and Storm Hunter in the first round.
Last year, Raducanu and Boulter reached the quarter-finals before being defeated by top seeds Erin Routliffe and Ljudmyla Kitschenok.
