"I do things my own way... not in a diva way" - Emma Raducanu defends decision to snub Olympics and focus on Wimbledon
Emma Raducanu has defended her decision to reject a wild card entry into the Great Britain tennis team for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 21-year-old previously skipped this year's French Open, expressing her intent to instead raise her fitness levels for the grasscourt season.
Raducanu returned to action at the ASB Classic at the beginning of this season after an injury-ravaged 2023 that saw her undergo wrist and ankle surgeries. While the Brit has mostly stayed fit so far this year, she has struggled for form, having won 11 and lost 8 of her matches.
The 2021 US Open champion started the clay-court season at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart and showed promising signs as she reached the quarterfinals before losing to World No. 1 Iga Swiatek.
However, days later at the Madrid Open, Emma Raducanu suffered an embarrassing first-lound loss to Maria Lourdes Carle. She later announced that she would be withdrawing from the remaining claycourt events, including the French Open, with the aim of being fully fit for the grasscourt season.
Emma Raducanu's latest decision to snub the Paris Olympics, where the tennis will be played on clay, has come under fire. The former World No. 10 opened up about it following her semifinal loss to Katie Boulter at the Nottingham Open. According to the Brit, the decision stemmed purely from a health and fitness perspective.
"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 prioritising my body and my health," Raducanu said.
The 2021 US Open champion went on to state that considering her recent past with injuries, she does not want to put herself under "additional stress".
"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 added.
Emma Raducanu recently revisited the significance of her 2021 Wimbledon wild card entry
Ahead of her 2024 Nottingham Open campaign, Raducanu recalled the importance of the wild card entry she was handed into the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. It was a result of her impressive performances at that year's edition of the Nottingham Open.
The Brit took full advantage of the opportunity and reached the fourth-round of Wimbledon, where she retired mid-match against Ajla Tomljanovic after experiencing breathing difficulties. Despite the mid-match retirement, Raducanu was buzzing with confidence. This helped her clinch her maiden Grand Slam title at the 2021 US Open, where she had to play through the qualifying stages to reach the main draw.
Raducanu said at a pre-tournament press conference that had it not been for her run at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, she may not have tasted success at the US Open.
"If I didn’t get that wild card [at Wimbledon], who knows what would have happened or if the US would have happened? So I think life is a compilation of butterfly effects and small moments that you don’t know what’s going to happen," Raducanu said (via Express).
Emma Raducanu has won 11 out of 19 matches so far this season, with her semifinal appearance in Nottingham being her best performance so far.