The more mature Raducanu rebels: "I've built Fort Knox around me"

Carlos Navarro | 7 May 2025 | 14.30

Emma Raducanu. Source: Getty

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The dazzling emergence of Emma Raducanu on the professional circuit seemed like a fairy tale. Yet, that beautiful summer story in 2021, with a US Open title and the sudden transition from unknown to star, turned into a nightmare over the following months. Injuries surfaced, media attention escalated, burdening her with pressure and expectations, and the Briton became somewhat of a broken toy in the WTA. And now, what?

Years after that breakthrough, Emma longs for one word: stability. It seems she finds it in terms of ranking, hovering around #50 in the world, awaiting a major tournament to propel her back to the forefront of the circuit. Yet, she seeks stability not only on the court but also off it: all the elements surrounding her began to, according to her, "burn" her mind, draining her energies entirely.

"I am someone who keeps many things to myself. It takes a lot for me to open up to someone. I haven't opened up to many people in my life, but to those I truly trust, I do. And when I let someone in, I do so completely. I care. And I have 'burned out' several times," Raducanu confessed to The Guardian in a conversation where she reveals the reason behind the numerous coaching changes and team shifts around her:

"Several people I trusted have surprised me, but I guess that's life, and I still have some fantastic people around me whom I listen to. There is a part of me that doesn't like to talk much about problems because I feel like I make them bigger. Now I am starting to accept things as they come, prioritizing discipline over how I feel." These aspects of her personality explain why her team has gradually become smaller in recent times, with Mark Petchey, who previously worked with her in 2020, and Jane O'Donoghue, whom she compares to an older sister, taking the lead:

"It has been very difficult for me to trust people in recent years, especially those who didn't know me before the US Open. Now I feel closer to those who did know me, and my circle is smaller than ever. Until I was 18, I was with my parents, they helped me with everything, I felt like nothing could touch me. Suddenly, after the US Open, waves of people arrived and I burned out on several occasions, whether professionally or personally. Now I have built Fort Knox around me in terms of trusting people to approach me."

HER NEXT AIM: STUDIES

One intriguing aspect of her recent statements: Raducanu revealed her desire to resume her studies, abruptly halted after her unexpected success in New York. "I am not sure if I will take my third access exams or pursue a degree, but I feel like I need that adrenaline in that part of my life. It will be a good escape method because, as I grew up, I always had tennis as an escape from studies and studies as an escape from tennis. My life didn't rely entirely on one facet." Language, Physics, or Politics are the fields she would like to specialize in... but first, of course, an appearance in the WTA Rome 2025 starting against Maya Joint. Will we see the best Raducanu again? The only thing that seems clear is that the past mistakes, it appears, have been overcome.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La Raducanu más madura se rebela: "He construido Fort Knox a mi alrededor"