"I am getting there" - Emma Raducanu confident of becoming a 'finished' product soon after morale-boosting run in Nottingham
Emma Raducanu is looking forward to the rest of the season after a strong showing at the recently concluded Nottingham Open. Following an injury-riddled 2023 and an inconsistent-at-best 2024 season so far, the Brit reached the Nottingham Open semifinals, where she lost to eventual champion and compatriot Katie Boulter.
Raducanu breezed past unseeded Ena Shibahara, Daria Snigur and Francesca Jones (walkover) to reach the semis of the WTA 250 event. Even against No. 3 seed Boulter, she got off to a strong start, managing to clinch the first set following a nail-biting tiebreak. However, ultimately, Boulter proved too strong for the 2021 US Open champion as she came back to win the match 6-7(13), 6-3, 6-4.
The former World No. 10 attended a post-match press conference, where she delved deep into her fitness levels at present. According to Raducanu, despite still being in recovery from "a bug and a cold", she "could play tomorrow" if needed without any worries. She also reflected on the first half of the 2024 season, saying that steering clear of minor knocks so far has helped her to gain much-needed match fitness.
"I feel really good. After the match I went and did intervals, I feel strong, I feel like I could play tomorrow. I am just shaking off a bit of a bug and a cold but physically I am fine. I just feel fit, I feel strong. I didn't pick up any niggles. Even at the start of this year, just gaining that match fitness and being able to day after day, it's a good position for me to be in," Raducanu said.
The 21-year-old touched on how her decision to not play at the French Open has impacted her as well. Raducanu opined that it allowed her to focus more on working primarily on her fitness. She concluded by saying that she is slowly but surely rediscovering her best form.
"Feeling a little fatigued but being in the latter stages of a tournament. There's no point being super fresh if your out first round every week. I have come a long way. I physically feel really good. That block has just allowed me to do more work, more fitness. I am starting to trust my body a lot more. I wouldn't say I am the finished product at all but I am getting there," Raducanu added.
"Prioritizing my body and my health" - Emma Raducanu on rejecting wildcard entry into Paris Olympics
Raducanu ruffled a few feathers with her decision to refuse the opportunity to represent Great Britain as a wildcard at the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, the Brit herself justified her decision following her Nottingham Open semifinal loss to Boulter.
According to the former World No. 10, switching from grass to clay for the Olympics would "put additional stress" on her physical health.
"For me, it was pretty clear from the start. I’m very single-minded, I do things my own way and at my own time, whenever I want, not in a diva way, but prioritizing my body and my health. If I’m fit, if I’m giving 100 per cent, I know great things are coming. I just don’t think there’s any need to put additional stress on my body or any risks, especially with my [injury] history," Raducanu said (via The Times).
The Brit had earlier withdrawn from the French Open to get a headstart in terms of her preparations for this year's Wimbledon Championships.