"Annoying & frustrating because I've been working as best as I can" - Emma Raducanu on managing her injuries despite good start to 2023 season
Emma Raducanu has admitted that it has been "annoying and frustrating" to continuously have to manage her injuries in the 2023 season, despite having had a decent year so far.
The former US Open champion started strong with a first-round victory at the ASB Classic before rolling her ankle in the second round. Following a hard-fought loss against Coco Gauff at the Australian Open afterwards, the Brit had to withdraw from tournaments in February as she was stricken down with tonsilitis.
March, however, witnessed a strong showing from Raducanu as she reached the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open (beating Magda Linette and Beatriz Haddad Maia along the way) before losing to World No. 1 Iga Swiatek.
At the Miami Open this week, the 20-year-old was unlucky to draw former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu in her opener. Even though she put up a determined fight, Raducanu fell 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in three sets against the Canadian.
Speaking in her press conference afterwards, she touched on her 2023 season so far, remarking that tennis-wise she was playing with a lot of confidence.
However, managing her existing injuries was still a tiresome job for the Brit, who added that she was working as best as she could to put them behind her.
"I think that I'm doing the right things day to day, which brings me confidence. I feel like this year has been difficult in the sense that I have been managing a few existing injuries," Raducanu said. "Yeah, that has been annoying and frustrating because I've been working as best as I can. I feel like I'm enjoying the competition. Yeah, just really, really happy to be on the match court."
Coming to the match against Andreescu, Emma Raducanu was proud of the way she hung in there against a good opponent in a difficult match-up for her, commenting that there was a lot of "good tennis" in the clash.
"I think it was always going to be a tough match. Both of us, we both won a Slam, like, we're both good players. It was always going to be a difficult matchup. But, yeah, I think there were definitely patches of some pretty good tennis in there, yeah," Emma Raducanu said.
Bianca Andreescu, meanwhile, will take on seventh seed Maria Sakkari in the second round of the 2023 Miami Open.
"I really need to look after myself and do what's best for me on the match court" - Emma Raducanu on her Billie Jean King Cup participation
Emma Raducanu also spoke about her absence from Britain's Billie Jean King Cup squad for the upcoming qualifier tie against France. She stated that, while she would love to play in the tournament, it is hard for her in her current state.
The youngster, though, understands that she needs to play at least once more at the team event in order to make herself eligible for the upcoming Olympics in 2024, a dream she is determined to fulfill.
"Yeah, of course I would love to play the Billie Jean King Cup. It's just this scenario is not the best for my body. I really need to look after myself and do what's best for me on the match court. I would love to play the Olympics," Emma Raducanu said.
In Raducanu's absence, Great Britain will be represented by Heather Watson, Harriet Dart, Katie Boulter, Alicia Barnett, and Olivia Nicholls.