In light of Emma Raducanu saying she 'thrives in Asia', a look at how the Brit has fared in the Asian swing throughout her career
Emma Raducanu has revealed her plan to compete in as many matches as possible until the end of the season. The Brit star has had a disappointing season, having failed to win any title in 2024. However, she is excited about the prospect of competing at the Asian swing, where she 'thrives'.
Raducanu recently spoke highly about her love of competing in Asia, claiming it's her favorite part of the tennis season. The young Brit added that she skipped a few tournaments on grass and clay to be fully fit for the Asian swing. She further admitted that she felt at home in Asia and believed that she thrives while competing in this last leg of the season.
"I always knew there was a really long block in Asia at the end of the year and I didn't want to overdo myself in the first half of the year. I have to prioritize and Asia was one of those for me. So I stacked the year on the backend heavy, because I'm excited. I thrive in Asia. It's where I truly feel like home," Raducanu said.
Raducanu's confidence might dwell on the fact that she reached the semifinal of the Seoul WTA 250 when she last competed in Asia in 2022. The top seed Jelena Ostapenko defeated the young Brit in three sets but she impressed with her overall game on the Asian hard courts.
Since then, injuries have prevented Raducanu from competing in any Asian events but she does have an impressive record from her junior days. In 2019, she won her first tournament in Asia, winning the Pune Open in India. She has a game that suits the Asian hard courts and she will be keen to end the season on a high.
With her own admission of playing as many games as possible before the end of the season, Raducanu could be set to compete at the tournaments in Seoul, Beijing, Tokyo and Osaka. Other top WTA players like Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff are all expected to play in these tournaments as well, making it more competitive for Raducanu.
Raducanu has no points to defend until January and a successful Asian swing could see her back in the top 50 of the WTA rankings before the Australian Open.
Emma Raducanu is keen to impress on her first outing in China
Raducanu's decision to compete in most tournaments before the end of the season could see her debut in China. Her mother is of Chinese descent and Emma often travelled to China to visit her grandmother. She even speaks Mandarin and is excited at the prospect of playing in China for the first time.
"Playing in China, I've never done that, so that's going to be a first for me. I feel pretty comfortable in this environment, which is an advantage. I just want to play as much as I can," Raducanu said.
Raducanu wants to stay fit until the end of the season and play as many matches as possible. Injuries and surgeries have already derailed her career but the 21-year-old is fit and raring to go to end her season on a high.
"I think the rest of the year, as long as I'm healthy I'm going to try and finish the season and play as many matches as I can. For me now, I just want to play matches and, in the meantime, do a little bit of work on my game where I can," Raducanu said after her first-round win in Seoul.
Emma Raducanu defeated Peyton Stearns in the first round of the Seoul WTA 500 and is set to face Yuan Yue in the next round.