Raducanu faces difficult Russian opponent in first round while Jannik Sinner starts a major as world No 1 for first time
During her relatively short time as a professional tennis player, Emma Raducanu has never known Wimbledon without chaos. In her debut in 2021, having spent the prior months away from tennis altogether to focus on her A-levels at the height of Covid, she reached the fourth round before dramatically retiring due to breathing difficulties. The next year, she injured an ankle early in her opening match on grass at the Nottingham Open and was barely ready in time. Last year, she did not even make it to the starting blocks.
For once, things seem relaxed in Raducanu’s world. She returns for her third Wimbledon after months of consistent training, with a growing number of matches under her belt and also, essentially, wins. She has reached the semi-finals in Nottingham and the quarter-finals in Eastbourne, where she clinched her first win over a top-10 player by defeating Jessica Pegula, the world No 5. As she finishes her preparations for SW19, Raducanu says she is the most settled she has been for some time.
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Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jun/30/comfortable-raducanu-gears-up-for-wimbledon-with-murray-locked-in-race-against-time
Author : Tumaini Carayol at Wimbledon
Publish date : 2024-06-30 16:59:15
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