“I’m still far from perfect”: Emma Raducanu opens up on lessons from 2025 and her early 2026 form

Emma Raducanu returned to winning ways in her comeback to the courts at the Transylvania Open. It was a great opportunity for the tournament’s top seed, one she did not want to let slip away, cruising through the first round with a convincing 6-0, 6-4 victory over Belgian Greet Minnen.

“I’m really pleased with that match. I think I played really well from the beginning, especially the first game, and it really helped set the tone for the rest of it,” the Brit commented in her press conference. “So I’m really pleased. I knew Greet could be very dangerous and tricky because indoors it’s all first-strike tennis, and she’s got a great serve, return, and ball three. So I’m happy with how I managed it.”

The 23-year-old was playing her first tournament since her early exit at the Australian Open, where she was upset in the second round by Austrian Anastasia Potapova. Raducanu’s run in Melbourne came to a premature end, and she quickly returned to Europe to continue with her early-season commitments.

The setting could not have been more fitting than Cluj-Napoca, Romania, where Raducanu feels almost like a local. Her father, Ion Răducanu, is from Bucharest, Romania, and Raducanu herself is fluent in Romanian. “I’m so happy to be here. It’s really nice to feel so welcome and to feel the support I had out there today,” said the world No. 29. “It was amazing from the moment I walked out. I could hear everyone behind me, and it meant so much to hear my name, to hear the support and the atmosphere. I really loved it.”

“I have to say I was really warmed by the reception I got when I walked out,” the former world No. 10 added. “Throughout the whole match, having waves of cheers in the middle of games, after games, before big moments—it means so much to me to have that. I’m really grateful that I can have this level of support here in Romania, and it makes me feel even more at home.”

Raducanu managed to re-establish herself among the top players thanks to consistent results throughout 2025. Since winning her first professional title at the 2021 US Open, Raducanu has not reached another final in her career, and she has only reached the semifinals once, which came at the 2025 DC Open.

Without a doubt, the 2025 season was her best since she burst onto the scene. She reached the quarterfinals of a WTA 1000 event for the first time, achieving that milestone in Miami, and finished the year winning matches at all four Grand Slams (7-4). She also posted her best record at WTA 1000 tournaments (13-10), where she collected more wins than in all her previous appearances combined.

The Brit acknowledged that she is still in the process of finding her best level, but she shared some of the keys that have given her consistency over the past year. “I would say I’m still far from perfect, but I think last year I got to a place in my game where I was a lot more aggressive. I think my serve was a lot better, and it was setting up the points well. At the start of the year, I probably wasn’t serving as well, and I also didn’t have that much preparation.”

“I do think the matches and training in Australia helped me feel that I’m in a better, sharper situation now here in Cluj. But I would say just first-strike tennis—that’s what it’s all about these days in the game. If you’re not aggressive, then any half chance, the girls are on you.”

After finishing the 2025 season inside the top 30, Raducanu began 2026 with greater ambitions, although she is still in the process of finding her best level. So far, she has recorded three wins in five matches and is preparing to face Kaja Juvan in the second round of the Transylvania Open.

Her early exit at the Australian Open was another topic addressed by the Brit. “I didn’t feel too comfortable in Australia. I think it was very tricky because depending on the time of day you play, the conditions are so different. You get adjusted to one, and then all of a sudden you’re playing in the day and the ball is flying, and it’s very difficult to adjust so quickly.

“I felt much better out there today playing, and indoors obviously helps take out some of the variables. Still, I’m really proud of what I put out on the court and my whole approach—how I approached the match, how I stuck with it, and how I stayed aggressive all the way through.”