"When I was younger I would get quite emotional on the court, & I got that knocked out of me pretty quickly" - Emma Raducanu
Emma Raducanu registered a series of very impressive victories during her run to the 2021 US Open title. The 18-year-old was dominant over the course of the fortnight, with her composure on the court being one of the standout aspects.
Now, a few weeks after her historic triumph, Raducanu has spoken at length about the mental aspect of her game in an interview with The Guardian.
Emma Raducanu first recalled how she used to be temperamental and prone to emotional outbursts on the tennis court when she was younger. She went on to credit her parents for "knocking out" those negative qualities, before adding that they helped her come develop a "calm" mindset.
"When I was younger I would get quite upset and emotional on the court, and I got that knocked out of me pretty quickly," Raduacnu said. "My parents didn't like that, so from a young age I've just had this mindset and stayed very calm."
Emma Raducanu also claimed she is a much more "resillient" player now. The teenager believes she has the ability to quickly bounce back from any mid-match disappointment.
Raducanu added that she often analyzes her mistake after an error, in order to try and ensure that she doesn't repeat it in the future.
"I'm pretty resilient and when down, or facing adversity, I feel like I bounce back pretty quickly and don't let that disappointment affect me," Raducanu said. "[When I make an error] I just try to acknowledge what happened in that shot and don’t repeat the mistake."
Emma Raducanu adds Cluj Napoca to her 2021 schedule
Emma Raduanu has not played on the circuit since her title-winning run at Flushing Meadows. The spike in her ranking following the triumph - she is now placed at No. 23 - initially had an impact on her schedule, but a clear picture has started emerging over the last few days.
The Brit is now confirmed to play the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, having been awarded a wildcard entry into the WTA 1000 event. Raducanu's name has also appeared on the entry lists for the WTA 250 tournaments scheduled to be played in Moscow and Cluj-Napoca.
The 18-year-old will be one of the highest seeds at the latter event, which will also feature her childhood idol Simona Halep.