"I was struggling a bit with my back, the matches at this level are taking their toll"- Emma Raducanu after 3R loss in Madrid
Emma Raducanu's campaign in Madrid came to an end on Tuesday with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 loss against Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina. The Brit was visibly struggling with back pain during the third-round encounter, but persevered till the end.
After the match, Raducanu revealed that she has struggled with her back throughout the week. She conceded, however, that such physical setbacks are indicative of the adjustments her body is making to play at the highest level.
"I was kind of struggling a bit with my back," Raducanu said. "Throughout the week I have been carrying some niggles, and it's kind of just taking its toll, all of the matches at this kind of level. I think that's a good thing. I feel like I'm going through this and my body is building with every match I play."
The reigning US Open champion registered her first professional win on the red dirt at the Billie Jean King Cup Playoffs last month against Czech Republic's Tereza Martincova. She went on to reach the quarterfinals in Stuttgart before making her tournament debut in Madrid.
Emma Raducanu disclosed that she was pleased with the improvements she made in her game to adapt to the surface. She believes her approach to matches has evolved for the better and that she is feeling mentally confident.
"I'm pretty happy with the progress I have made over the last few weeks, and I think I have definitely done something to build on and keep building," she continued. "I feel like my mentality and my outlook to how I'm approaching things right now is a lot better. But I feel like on clay specifically the one thing is probably you don't actually need to slide all the time. You just think it's a clay court, but sometimes you don't need to change your game that much."
"The plan right now is to still go to Rome" - Emma Raducanu
The Brit is currently on the entry list for the WTA 1000 event in Rome, which begins on 9 May. When asked about her immediate plans, Emma Raducanu revealed that she hopes to play in Italy next week.
"I'm not sure what I will do yet, whether I will go home or straight to Rome," the World No. 11 said. "I will be playing Rome next week, I hope, given everything is good. I'm not sure when I start. Maybe Monday or Tuesday. I hope it's enough time, because it would be a real shame to miss it."
She further explained how her niggles are mostly a result of physical exertion, and that she usually recovers within a couple of days.
"I'm feeling pretty positive. A lot of the time with me it's just overload and then two, three days of complete rest and I'm okay to start training again. Hopefully, the plan right now is to still go to Rome," she added.