Watering the clay with Mark Petchey: Smiling Emma Raducanu ready for Strasbourg test

Emma Raducanu awaits her final challenge before Roland Garros and will debut this Monday at the WTA 500 Internationaux de Strasbourg. The Brit looked particularly cheerful in her preparations for the tournament, where she hopes to maintain the momentum she carries from the Rome Open.

The 2021 US Open champion achieved three consecutive victories on the clay courts of the Foro Italico. En route to the round of 16, she defeated Maya Joint, Jil Teichmann, and Veronika Kudermetova before facing Coco Gauff. However, she couldn't overcome the American and suffered a heavy defeat 1-6, 2-6.

Nevertheless, Raducanu wanted to take the positives from her time in Rome, where she reached the fourth round of a WTA 1000 for the third time in her career, two of those in her last three appearances (she reached the quarterfinals at the Miami Open). "I just know that every day, I am trying to be the best version of myself. I am trying to win the day, and I have gotten back to that," she declared after the tournament.

In a recent post on her social media, the 22-year-old star is seen watering the clay court during her last training session alongside her new coach Mark Petchey. After her constant difficulties in finding a long-term coach, Raducanu seeks stability with the former Andy Murray's coach.

In Strasbourg, she drew a tough opponent in former world No. 8 Daria Kasatkina (6th seed), against whom she has a 0-3 head-to-head record. The Australian – who recently changed her citizenship, previously Russian – has already defeated her on grass courts and hardcourts, and Raducanu has yet to win a set against ‘Dasha’.