"Want to use this season to take the pressure off": Emma Raducanu has no expectations as clay court season ramps up

Emma Raducanu heads into Rome after losing to Marta Kostyuk in Madrid and having a good Miami run but on a surface that she hasn't played that much of, it is a stepping stone to grass and hard courts she admits.

Raducanu could face Ekaterina Alexandrova again in the second round in Rome and working with Mark Petchey, she has found the key as such to her game that wasn't there before.

But it is very much staying in the knowledge that she is taking the pressure off this year and not relying on results and is trying to play as she can over chasing points and milestones.

“It’s a good challenge for my game,” Raducanu said to Sky Sports Tennis.

“I want to work on doing things differently to try and bridge the gap between where I am now and where I want to be.

“I’m going to use the season to take pressure off, try and be more aggressive and play the way I want to more so, so it can help me on the other surfaces.

“I had some time off after Madrid and I’m working on feeling a bit more comfortable on this surface. I don’t think I’m fully there yet, but I’m just putting in the hard work and keeping going.

“It’s a good challenge for my game. I want to try and bridge the gap from where I am now to where I want to be.

“I just want to use this season to take the pressure off and play the way I want to so it can help me on the other surfaces.

“It is exciting, it does feel like a bit of a fresh start with the way I am approaching everything, with the people I have around, with my mindset and outlook.

“I feel more optimistic, I feel pretty positive about things going forward. I’m just taking it day by day and trying to stay consistent.”