"I’m not really sure how to improve that": Emma Raducanu highlights one area where she struggled during Madrid Open second-round defeat

Britain’s Emma Raducanu has admitted that she found it difficult to move on the court during her second-round exit from the Madrid Open. The WTA 1000 event is nearing its business end, where the remaining players are giving their all to secure the ultimate prize.

Raducanu, who was once regarded as the next big thing, especially after winning the US Open at the age of just 18 back in 2021, is going through a mixed campaign. She recently had a good outing at the Miami Open, where her journey ended after losing in the quarterfinal to America’s Jessica Pegula.

Raducanu came into the Madrid Open hoping to build on that performance in Miami, but she faltered at the second hurdle against Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk with a score of 6-4, 2-6, 6-2. Talking after the match, the former world number 10 admitted that she found it ‘hard’ to move during the match. Raducanu stated that she likes ‘slipping’ during the match. However, the one-time Grand Slam winner stated that playing two matches in the competition is a ‘positive’ for her despite failing to secure a deeper run in the tournament.

“I found moving really difficult,” said Raducanu as quoted by Tennis 365. “I felt like I was slipping around, but it was taking me a long time to get out of the corners and after the serve as well. I’m not really sure how to improve that, so I guess I’ll just take that back and try to work on it in the next week. I think it’s positive to get through and play two matches on the outdoor clay courts. I would say that it is pretty noticeable to me that I don’t necessarily feel very comfortable, but I think that’s something that I can improve on and work on. And it is my second proper clay season and the first one in three years. So I think I’m just trying to give myself a chance to play as many points as I can on it, and also [I need] time on the court training as well.”