Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu has set modest expectations for the season following her return from a prolonged injury break.
After her historic triumph at the 2021 US Open, where she became the first qualifier to win a Major, Raducanu’s career trajectory took a downturn. In her inaugural full season as a top-10 player, she suffered early exits, including a first-round defeat at Flushing Meadows, becoming only the third defending champion in the Open Era to face such a setback.
Throughout 2023, injuries plagued her performances, leading to a drop in rankings outside the top 100. Although she made a return to Auckland this year, reaching the second round, she withdrew from the Australian Open due to soreness.
Ahead of her wildcard entry into the Abu Dhabi Open, Raducanu expressed her focus on elevating her game and aiming for a tournament victory:
“For me, success would be observing improvement in my performance during practice sessions and subsequently in matches. I understand that translating my enhanced level into match situations will require some time. However, I believe that with increased performance levels, positive results will follow. Additionally, I am eager to clinch a title of any caliber.”
Reflecting on the past two years since her remarkable US Open triumph, Raducanu acknowledged the challenges but embraced the learning experiences:
“In some ways, it’s disappointing that the past couple of years haven’t unfolded as I had hoped. However, I believe we can learn from every setback, and now is the opportune moment to embark on that journey. I’m thoroughly enjoying the process.”
Ranked World No. 295, Raducanu is scheduled to kickstart her Abu Dhabi campaign against Marie Bouzkova on Monday.
