"I'm 100% okay for starting over, to be honest; if my ranking plummets to like 1000 or whatever, then I don't care" - Emma Raducanu on how she is dealing with pressure ahead of her US Open title defense
Emma Raducanu will be defending 2,000 points at the end of the month, thanks to her incredible title run at the US Open last year. Entering the tournament as a qualifier, the Brit scripted history by becoming the first ever player in the Open Era to win the New York Major coming through the qualification rounds.
Understandably, therefore, there is enormous pressure on the World No. 10 as she begins her North American hardcourt swing campaign, one she started well with a first-round victory over Louisa Chirico at the Citi Open.
Speaking at her press conference afterward, the Brit admitted that it was impossible to ignore the weight of expectations on her, adding that she herself had certain expectations that have burdened her in the past. But impressively, Raducanu declared that she was going to power through regardless of how difficult the coming weeks were going to be.
Back on the US hardcourts, 19yo Emma Raducanu plays a very solid match to beat Louisa Chirico 6-4, 6-2 and reach the 2nd round in Washington (vs. Osório).
Good start for Emma in a very important part of the season for her... https://t.co/LLKpooQipR
Now ranked World No. 10, losing 2,000 points at Flushing Meadows will send the teenager tumbling down the rankings without a doubt. But all that is not enough to faze the determined 19-year-old, who made it clear that she doesn't care how low she sinks because she knows she has what it takes to start from scratch -- if it comes to that, of course.
"I think that no matter what I said, I probably did have, you know, certain expectations of myself that were probably a bit twisted. And now I genuinely just accept it," Emma Raducanu said. "Okay, it's not going to be pretty necessarily or easy, but I'm like 100% okay for starting over, to be honest. Like if my ranking plummets to like 1000 or whatever, then I don't care."
Emma Raducanu attributed this newfound wisdom to her days of struggle earlier this year, her first full season on the WTA tour. With a 10-12 win/loss record in 2022, it has been far from smooth sailing for the World No. 10.
The reigning US Open champion, however, remains confident in her own ability to bounce back, stating that she has accepted the fact that she needs to be patient with herself and see out this journey even if the odds are stacked against her.
"Yeah, I think that I feel -- it's more I feel wiser now compared to, like, just after the US Open and the beginning of this year. I know that being a US Open champ I'm going to somehow pull my way back up there," Emma Raducanu said. "It's going to take a bit of time maybe, but, yeah, I'm just really, you know, accepting of that and looking forward to whatever journey it takes."
"It's just important to, you know, stay calm, I think that's something I can do better going forward in this tournament" - Emma Raducanu
Weighing in on how she did against Louisa Chirico in her opener at the Citi Open, Emma Raducanu claimed that she had some good moments despite her general nervousness. But she brushed it off as normal, noting that first-round clashes were always challenging and that it was more important to stay calm despite those shortcomings.
"I think I definitely had moments in the match today where I was playing good tennis, but I was nervous in the beginning, I think, for sure. I think playing any first round is always pretty challenging," Emma Raducanu said. "Then, you know, when you're not necessarily that match-sharp, you know, small things you don't necessarily get right. It's just important to, you know, stay calm."
BACK. IN. BUSINESS 🙌
US Open champion @EmmaRaducanu rolls on by defeating Chirico 6-4, 6-2.
#CitiOpen https://t.co/jfk2yxDZkt
The Brit hoped she could extend that calmness to the rest of the tournament, starting with her second-round clash against Camila Osorio. Recalling how she regrouped and found a way to get past Chirico during the big moments of the match, the teenager expects to do the same against Osorio as well -- their first clash on the WTA tour.
"I think that's something I can do better going forward in this tournament, hopefully in the next round, because, yeah, there were some moments I was slightly agitated, but I definitely regrouped and found a way through in the end," Emma Raducanu said.