Emma Raducanu happy to win even one round in Melbourne, reveals real extent of injury after Australian Open exit
Following her second-round loss at the 2023 Australian Open, British tennis sensation Emma Raducanu revealed the extent of her injury, how delighted she was to even win one round and more.
Raducanu was knocked out of the Melbourne Park Major after losing in straight sets to Coco Gauff in a tense second-round match. The World No. 77 looked impressive against the American seventh seed but a lack of consistency and practice led to a 6-3, 7-6, (7-4) defeat.
The 20-year-old battled an ankle ailment in Auckland prior to playing in Melbourne, and her defeat means she has not advanced to the third round of a Grand Slam since her historic victory at the 2021 US Open.
Emma Raducanu explained in a post-match press conference that even 13 days ago, with her injuries, she was happy to be in the main draw and thought her chances of playing in the tournament were "very low," thus she had little practice time.
"13 days ago I would have — like, with what I had to be in the draw right now is a massive, you know, effort and achievement," Raducanu said.
"I would say, like, all the chips were against us, and the chances of me playing this tournament were very, very low. So I had extremely limited practice time, and I think I can say that now I'm not, like, competing anymore (laughing)," she added.
The Brit went on to claim that if she had known she would be in the main draw and win a round, she would have put in a "massive effort," admitting that despite having chances in the second set, she didn't play her best tennis and thought she could have done better.
"I think 13 days ago if you would have told us, like, Hey, you're going to be in the draw and win a round, it would have been a massive effort for sure," Emma Raducanu said.
"Saying that, I still think I didn't necessarily play my best today. Although, like, the second set I had chances and were pushing, it was still I felt like I could have done better myself," she added further.
"I think that we're going to be playing each other many times in the future" - Emma Raducanu on Coco Gauff
When asked if she desired to play Coco Gauff again, Emma Raducanu replied positively, saying she would require more than five hours of practice before doing so.
"Yeah, I'd really like to play her again. I think that maybe with more than five hours under my belt of practice," Raducanu said.
The 20-year-old went on to say that she and the American would play each other a lot in the future as they are both part of the next generation.
"Yes, she's a great opponent, and as I said in my previous press conference, I think that we're going to be playing each other many times in the future as we're both young and coming. You know, like, we're going to be the next generation," Raducanu said.