“My career in tennis is probably finished in 10 years”, Emma Raducanu discuss her future amid French Open withdrawal

Emma Raducanu discussed her future in the sport, speculating that she will retire “probably in 10 years”. The British player recently announced that she will not play in the French Open qualifiers. The 21-year-old is the third alternate for the main draw, hoping that some withdrawals would guarantee her participation in the tournament. However, just hours before the qualifiers draw, she announced her withdrawal from the tournament.

Due to injuries in 2023, Raducanu does not have any points to defend for the rest of the year, so it will not significantly affect her ranking, which is currently No. 212. The former US Open champion recently responded in an interview that her retirement will be within about 10 years.

 Raducanu on criticism and career sacrifices

At 18, Raducanu burst onto the tennis scene by becoming the first Grand Slam champion to come from the qualifiers, following her heroic triumph at the 2021 US Open. She defeated Leylah Fernandez in the final, without dropping a set in the 10 matches she played over three weeks at Flushing Meadows.

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She went from being an unknown to one of the most prominent figures in world tennis but has not achieved the expected results since then, struggling with inconsistency and injuries. In an interview with The Times, Raducanu commented on the constant criticism she receives:

“There are those who see me doing a shoot or posing for a commercial and they don’t see the seven hours before that at the training centre, doing physio, gym, hitting balls. But if on a rare evening I go to a premiere and I get photographed, that’s my downtime.”

Raducanu's last appearance was at the Madrid Open, where she fell in the first round to Argentina's Maria Lourdes Carle, 6-2, 6-2.

When asked if she feels envious of her friends who live a more normal life, Raducanu responded: “I do, but the rewards I am getting at this point are a lot greater than the best they can get. My career in tennis is probably finished in 10 years, so I have got to maximise. It’s a sacrifice worth making.”

Thanks to her protected ranking, the British player could have played in the qualifiers starting on Monday, May 20th at Roland Garros but withdrew from the draw hours before it was made: “It’s important for me to keep laying on the foundations and I will use the time to do a healthy block before the grass and subsequent hard court seasons to give myself a chance to keep fit for the rest of the year.”

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