New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS): Emma Raducanu reflected on her unique approach as she gears up for her second US Open since winning the title in 2021. Tuesday's opening round matchup features the 21-year-old American against fellow Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin. The winner may advance to face sixth seed Jessica Pegula in the second round.
The 21-year-old emphasised her distinct path, stating, "I just always do things a little bit differently," Raducanu told BBC Sport. Despite reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon, Raducanu chose to skip the Olympics and has only played one tournament in the past six weeks. She explains her decision-making process, noting, "I really wanted to play in Toronto, especially because I was born there, but the turnaround was too tight for qualifying."
"I would have had to play on Sunday and I finished [in Washington] late Friday night, so flying there and adjusting I just felt was too tight.
"Otherwise, I just always do things a little bit differently."
Raducanu advanced to the Washington quarterfinals, but she was defeated by Paula Badosa, the eventual winner. Cincinnati was her next chance to carry on a summer run that had given her 10 victories in her last four events, since a trip to Toronto had been ruled out. However, the world number 71 chose not to qualify after receiving no wildcard.
Despite not having competed since her victory in New York three years ago, she claims she is not opposed to playing at that level.
Looking ahead, Raducanu acknowledges the potential challenge of playing qualifying rounds but remains open to the idea. "I think playing qualies is not something that I am against," she says, highlighting the benefits of adjusting to the court and gaining a better feel for the game. However, she opted to focus on preparations instead of entering qualifying rounds this summer.
With her ranking on the rise, Raducanu is poised for a strong finish to the season, particularly in Asia, where her heritage and fluent Mandarin could provide additional opportunities. Reflecting on the fast-paced nature of tennis, she remarks, "Tennis is unforgiving in that sense, no matter who you are. It just moves on... it's old news the next day."