Emma Raducanu has shown her true colours by demonstrating how much effort she is willing to put in on her return to tennis after eight months of injury torment. She prematurely ended an interview after her coach requested that she head back to the court as she gears up for a comeback at the Australian Open.
The Brit is currently in New Zealand where she will play her first professional tennis match since undergoing surgeries on both of her wrists earlier this year. She has been granted a wildcard for the ASB Classic next week in preparation for the first Grand Slam of the year in Melbourne.
The 21-year-old’s attitude and work ethic have often been questioned since she won the US Open in 2021, but Raducanu has demonstrated a desire to get back to her top form next year. The World No 298’s media commitments and endorsements have been focused on by her critics but she has shown a willingness to instead focus on the sport.
During a wide-ranging interview with Tatler, Raducanu cut their interview slightly short by saying towards the end: “I’m afraid I have to go—my coach just texted me and I have to get back on court.” Earlier in the conversation, Raducanu spoke at great length about her dedication to the sport and how she plans on returning to her best form.
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“I think anyone who’s actually worked with and around me knows that I’m a really hard worker. It’s true that if you put in the hours and hours and hours and hours, it’s going to get you there,” she said.
“But at some point, you get diminishing returns, and it’s just not the most efficient way to train or learn, and knowing when to pull back and actually work smarter is when you get more out of yourself and better results.
“If something’s not perfect—and I’m quite a perfectionist—I’ll be nicer [to myself ] and just say, okay, it’s fine. And sometimes when there’s so much going on, I will put everything on pause, because I know now that’s how I’m going to get the best out of myself.”
Whether that coach is Nick Cavaday remains to be seen as who is present in her box will be interesting viewing, having parted ways with several top coaches since her glory on American soil two years ago.
Cavaday worked with Raducanu during her formative years in tennis at the Bromley Tennis Centre in Kent, having also coached Brits Aljax Bedene and Dominic Inglot. There has been no official confirmation of a coaching change, however, with all eyes on Raducanu as she nears a return from injury.
But one thing is for sure, her commitment to tennis and working hard after an injury-ravaged year remains in place, which may be put to the test if Raducanu is not awarded a wildcard for the Australian Open and is forced to compete in the qualifiers.
