Emma Raducanu arrived in South Korea this September determined to end a complicated season with a strong Asian swing, her favourite time of year. She had started well, winning two matches at the Korea Open, only to suffer an all-too-familiar setback. Raducanu retired from her quarter-final match in Seoul with a foot injury that would sideline her until the final week of the season.
That layoff would prove to be a significant moment in Raducanu's continued development. During her time off, she visited her grandmother in China, brushed up on her Mandarin Chinese, and she also flexed her creative muscles. Most importantly, however, another enforced layoff also gave her time to reflect frankly on the decisions she has made in her young career.
"I'd say that was a bit of a turning point where I was just like: 'OK, next year, what do I want for myself?'" says Raducanu, speaking at the LTA National Tennis Centre during her pre-season. "I was really creative. I was playing the piano, I was painting, kind of exploring my artistic side a bit. It just got me thinking. That final foot injury just had me like: 'I really want to stay healthy next year. I really want to make sure that I'm consistently doing the physical stuff.' Because every time I went on a trip this year, the fitness would inevitably take a back seat.
"I'd have press, tennis, whatever, and then the fitness, because I didn't have someone able to adapt the session, or it would just kind of not be done. And I think that's when I was really like: 'Well, I want to bring someone in to come with me on the road, so I can continue the physical work.'"
Along with the life-changing experience of her unprecedented US Open win as an 18-year-old qualifier in 2021, injuries have defined Raducanu's career to date and her physical issues last year culminated in her undergoing separate surgeries on both wrists and her left ankle as she missed most of the season due to injury.
This story is from the December 17, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the December 17, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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