Emma Raducanu walks off court at the Australian Open. Smile if you just got your first Grand Slam win since coming back from injury. 🫶❤️
"Just too good not to get back to the top": Emma Raducanu has an aura that only the best players have says former British No.1
WTAWednesday, 17 January 2024 at 23:20
Former British No.1, Jo Durie was full of praise for former US Open champion, Emma Raducanu on her return to action as she prepares to face Yafan Wang during the early hours of Thursday morning at the Australian Open.
Raducanu took down Shelby Rogers in the opening round who she defeated en route to the US Open title and Durie sees a new steeliness and determination from her fellow Brit who has been through a myriad of injury problems and the spotlight being thrust on her since her Flushing Meadows breakout.
“She’s confronted her injuries, getting them dealt with and also growing up mentally. I was out for nine months when I was 19 after a really big back operation; almost the same time frame as Emma. It makes you think about what you are missing," said Durie to MegaDice.com.
“She has come back hungrier, she wants to be on court, she’s enjoying being on court. There is no better than feeling that.
“She will only get better for this. Two weeks ago when she had those two tough matches I was not surprised when her body was a bit stiff and sore. However much you practice it is just not the same. When you have got that tension in a match, that anxiety, your muscles tense up and you are much stiffer.
“She has come back hungrier, she wants to be on court, she’s enjoying being on court. There is no better than feeling that.
“She will only get better for this. Two weeks ago when she had those two tough matches I was not surprised when her body was a bit stiff and sore. However much you practice it is just not the same. When you have got that tension in a match, that anxiety, your muscles tense up and you are much stiffer.
Raducanu has an aura that only the best players have, Durie backs her for renewed success
In the mind of the former British Number One also, she has an aura that only the best players have and that she will return to the top of women's tennis. Durie said she is 'too good' not to return to the top and that her previous woes are mostly behind her now.
“We are lucky to have her. People had such joy when she won the US Open and the way she did it. It looked fun and it was amazing tennis. Everybody knows her face wherever she goes around the world. To have people following you at every step, and cameras everywhere, is a lot to cope with on top of trying to perform as a tennis player.
“We are lucky to have her. People had such joy when she won the US Open and the way she did it. It looked fun and it was amazing tennis. Everybody knows her face wherever she goes around the world. To have people following you at every step, and cameras everywhere, is a lot to cope with on top of trying to perform as a tennis player.
“The confidence to come out and say the things she has at her level. She is just too good not to get back to the top if she puts the consistent work in is a real statement of her state of mind. A lot of players are loath to put themselves on the line. But she knows her standards and she has been practicing to those standards for the past couple of months. She knows what she is capable of. And she is still so young and she has such a bright future ahead of her.
“I think a lot of it is behind her. I am sure there will be a few more ups and downs. She did say a successful year for her would be one where she is healthy and could play. That is what she needs to pinpoint, to be wise about her tournaments, get a good amount of matches, not judge it too harshly, win or lose. Just get that experience. She will work her way up the rankings pretty quickly and find herself back in the mix and then who knows? Having the confidence her body won’t give out makes a huge difference.
“You get inundated. It was mind-boggling the amount of people who wanted a piece of her. You have got to have good people around you to deflect and defend you against some of this; picking the right things for you to do at the right times so you are not worrying in the back of your mind whether you should be going to hit for a couple of hours or going to do a commercial.
“I think she has sorted that out now and is used to it and will take that in her stride.”
“I think she has sorted that out now and is used to it and will take that in her stride.”
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