Emma Raducanu still trying to ‘figure everything out’ after ‘unlucky’ start to 2022
After a challenging start to her first full season on the WTA Tour, Emma Raducanu has shown maturity, confidence and resolution beyond her years as she “accepts her year is going to be bumpy.”
Expectations placed upon 19-year-old US Open champion Raducanu have increased dramatically ever since she became the first qualifier ever to win a Grand Slam title.
This came after she reached the fourth round of her home Wimbledon again as a qualifier.
As such, her profile has risen exponentially. She recently signed a $4 million (£2.9 million) deal with Vodafone, adding to her roster of sponsorships with Nike, British Airways, Evian, Dior and Tiffany’s.
However, Raducanu struggled for form in the latter stages of last season as she adjusted to life on the WTA Tour.
Now, she has been dealt numerous blows in the form of various injury concerns.
As well as contracting Covid-19 during the pre-season, British starlet Raducanu also suffered injuries at both events she has played this year.
She battled through blistering to no avail at the Australian Open as she lost to Danka Kovinic in the second round, before then suffering a leg injury that ruled her out of both the Zapopan and Monterrey Opens.
As a result of latter injury, Raducanu’s involvement at the Indian Wells Masters had been shrouded in doubt, although the young Brit will compete as she looks to put her injury-riddled start to the new year behind her and finally build on last year’s Flushing Meadows success.
Speaking ahead of her opening fixture against Caroline Garcia, Raducanu said “I was hoping for a really good pre-season in December which didn’t happen because I got Covid.
“And then I took three weeks off, and then in Australia, I kind of felt the effect of that because I got blisters because my hands got soft and then I got a leg injury, but it’s all part of it. A spanner in the works.
“I feel like I can take all the bad luck that is thrown at me after all the good fortune I had last year. But, yeah, it’s frustrating because I was hoping to kind of build on it.
“[I’m] still trying to figure everything out and everything is still very new and it’s going to take a while to really settle into it.
“And I accept that it’s not going to be the smoothest ride and it’s going to be bumpy, but what can I do about it?
“I’ve kind of been put in a scenario that’s not really been done before and I’m trying to figure it out as I go along.”
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