"I have no toenails, my foot, my shoes, they've just been sliding around a lot" - Emma Raducanu on claycourt training
Emma Raducanu made a stunning debut on clay on Friday with a 7-5, 7-5 victory over Czech Republic's Tereza Martincova. Her win helped Great Britain level the Billie Jean King (BJK) Cup qualifying tie 1-1 at the end of Day 1 in Prague.
The moment @EmmaRaducanu claimed her 1st @BJKCup win 🙌
And brought GB level against Czech Republic
#BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 https://t.co/oRG4BiVC4n
This was just the third victory of the season for the 19-year-old, who will face Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Marketa Vondrousova in her next singles rubber on Saturday.
Speaking to the media ahead of her BJK Cup debut, Raducanu revealed that her toenails have started to wear off as a result of rigorous practice sessions and the constant sliding on clay.
"I have no toenails," Raducanu said. "It was just my foot, my shoes, they've just been sliding around a lot [in the shoe]. I had a small niggle in Miami but now I have no physical thing."
Nevertheless, the reigning US Open champion believes clay could prove to be one of her "strongest surfaces." She pointed out that her quick footwork and efficient sliding could strengthen her game on clay, and is looking forward to testing herself in the WTA claycourt season.
"I genuinely believe that clay could be one of my strongest surfaces," she said. "I like moving because I feel like I have got a lot more potential physically. And I do enjoy sliding. So, after spending more time on this surface, I'm sure I'll time it better and learn more about the surface. I feel like I can really use it and play aggressive whilst also being able to move. I am looking forward to spending more time on clay going forward.”
Meanwhile, Anne Keothavong, the captain of the British BJK Cup team, emphasized the importance of creating memories collectively as a team in competitions such as this.
"I’ve always said these weeks are different to what they experienced at the usual kind of tennis tournaments and it’s really important that, as a team, we can create memorable moments,” said Keothavong.
"I'm just prepared to keep picking myself up no matter how many times I get knocked down" - Emma Raducanu
In a separate interview with the BBC ahead of her BJK Cup debut, Emma Raducanu spoke about the changes in perspective since her historic triumph at the 2021 US Open. The Brit, who will be playing a full season for the first time in her career, revealed that she is prepared to deal with the ups and downs of competing on the WTA tour.
"I've learnt that this year is just going to be a freeswing to be honest," Raducanu said. "I'm just prepared to keep picking myself up no matter what, no matter how many times I get knocked down. Like it doesn't matter, I'll just come back and do it better. So I'm just trying to work it out. Eventually I'll get there, I'm only 19."