Following her recent setback, Emma Raducanu, the world’s 55th-ranked tennis player, has pinpointed areas in her performance where she needs to enhance her skills. Raducanu also shares her first impression of her newly appointed coach in her public comments.
Raducanu’s recent game was her first encounter after an unsettling incident in the United Arab Emirates. During her match against Karolina Muchova at the Dubai Tennis Championships, a man behaving peculiarly was removed from the premises. The man had allegedly approached Raducanu, left her a note, and took her photograph, causing her considerable distress.
As a result of this incident, Raducanu confessed that the past few weeks have been emotionally taxing for her. The incident even prompted her to deliberate deeply on her participation in the Indian Wells Open. Raducanu eventually made the eleventh-hour decision to partake in the tournament in California.
However, her game against Moyuka Uchijima in the first round of the WTA 1000 event wasn’t her best performance. Raducanu, who is ranked three places behind Uchijima in the WTA rankings, did not put up a strong fight, losing 6-3, 6-2 to the Japanese player.
A key issue identified in Raducanu’s game was her faltering serve. She was broken five times by Uchijima, largely due to her inability to secure the opening point of games. Raducanu acknowledged that she needs to enhance the initiation of the point, which she considers a significant aspect of tennis. She also admitted to requiring improvement in being more aggressive and delivering better quality shots.
Raducanu, the 2021 US Open winner, has been without a full-time coach since Nick Cavaday stepped down to prioritize his health after the Australian Open in January. Prior to her game in the Indian Wells, news surfaced that she had engaged Vladimir Platenik on a trial basis.
Platenik, who has trained several noteworthy players such as Dominika Cibulkova, Daria Kasatkina, Veronika Kudermetova, and Lulu Sun, hasn’t had much time to impart his strategies on Raducanu as their partnership began just a day before her Indian Wells opener.
Sharing her initial thoughts on her new coach, Raducanu stated that Platenik is a serious and professional individual, always ready to get to work. She also mentioned her anticipation to see how their partnership would progress, both on and off the court. The 22-year-old Raducanu is determined to keep moving forward without dwelling too much on the past.
In conclusion, Raducanu has recognized areas where she needs to improve in order to enhance her game. With a new coach on board and a resolve to keep progressing, she is keen to make strides in her career despite recent setbacks.
