‘I’m back with a different outlook’: Emma Raducanu’s pride at US Open return

WWhen Emma Raducanu first returned to New York two years ago to defend her unprecedented 2021 US Open victory in the qualifying rounds, things didn’t go as smoothly as she had hoped. A year of criticism and unwanted pressure had taken its toll, and with her body so frail, it seemed like an injury or ailment was always lurking. Raducanu meekly went down in the first round without winning a set.

After missing last year’s 2018 edition while recovering from surgery, the 21-year-old returns to Flushing Meadows seemingly in a better position than after her victory.

“I feel so proud when I come here,” she says. “Every day, walking past my picture. Every day, walking past my name on the trophy. It’s such an epic achievement and these two weeks, I’ve accomplished it. I come back with such a different outlook. Just joy and pride and it inspires me to want to do more.”

The British No. 2 has spoken this summer about finding the joy in tennis again, which had been difficult for so long. The results she has enjoyed over the past four months have confirmed those sentiments. Raducanu has reached the quarter-finals or better in four of her last six tour events, reached the fourth round of Wimbledon and played a decisive role in Britain’s victory over France on clay in the Billie Jean King Cup. Now firmly back in the world’s top 100, she is consistently playing quality tennis.

The pressing question surrounding Raducanu is how much she’s willing to play and whether she’s truly ready to commit to the grind required of players to make it big. She turned down a chance to compete in the Olympics to prioritize getting an early start on her U.S. hard-court swing and not worrying about the form challenges and injury risks that come with changing surfaces.

Despite the criticism she received for that decision, there was clear logic in planning cautiously after her injuries. While her counterparts were in Paris, Raducanu enjoyed another solid week at the Washington WTA 500 event, reaching the quarterfinals before losing an extremely tight, quality three-set battle to the in-form Paula Badosa.

The first week of the North American hardcourt swing, however, will be the last time Raducanu has competed. After withdrawing from qualifying for the Montreal WTA 1000 event, she returned home and missed four weeks before returning for the US Open. Raducanu says she missed Montreal because of the quick turnaround time required and that she didn’t want to wait to play in qualifying for the Cincinnati Open. She noted that she has “always done things a little differently” compared to other players.

“I mix and match,” she says. “I don’t think I’ll ever be the player who plays almost 30 events a year. That’s not my style – it never has been. When I was playing juniors, I just played a few tournaments, played the Grand Slams and went to school. I’ve always done it that way.

“Even when I won the US Open, I only played a few tournaments that year. Yeah, they were closer together. I’m not in a hurry to play a lot. I’d rather focus on tournaments and be ready to play the tournaments I’m in.”

What is clear is that she needs to raise her game even further after a tough draw in New York. Raducanu will face Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, who has struggled even more than Raducanu since becoming a major champion. After slipping down the rankings, the Moscow-born American has shown glimpses of her old form by beating a number of top players. The 25-year-old has settled into her No. 55 ranking but has failed to find any consistency.

The winner of that match would then face sixth-seeded Jessica Pegula. After a difficult, injury-plagued season, the American has bounced back in recent weeks, winning in Montreal and reaching the final in Cincinnati. Raducanu defeated the 30-year-old in Eastbourne in June for her first career win against a top-10 opponent.

Raducanu must be convinced from the start of the tournament that she is ready to deliver another major performance in New York.