The lesson from Agassi that Raducanu wants to apply to her career
Interesting words from the English player, who has found in Agassi's autobiography the perfect lifeline to see herself reflected in these tough moments of her recovery.
If there were a place handing out tennis fan cards, one of the mandatory rules to follow would be to have read 'Open', the autobiography of Andre Agassi. This is a mission that Emma Raducanu still has pending, although having so much free time has allowed her to tackle it.
The British player is not going through a good time. Since she touched the sky in that unforgettable US Open, where she emerged from the qualifying rounds and no one could stop her, it is evident that expectations have not been met. At 18, we would have to see how many of us could have done it. The issue is that now, five seasons later, her body has become the main problem. According to what she revealed in an interview with GQ, some pages from Agassi's book have helped her feel identified and make progress in her recovery.
“Open describes what Agassi was doing and how he built his career with a surprising level of detail. I was particularly intrigued by the passage where he came out of his slump in the late 90s by creating his own training regimen and finding his way back to the top,” Raducanu explains in statements collected by Tennis365.
Raducanu sees herself reflected in Agassi's story
The connection is not limited to tennis. Raducanu also recognizes herself in the contrast between early success and the difficulties that can arise afterward. Agassi arrived at the elite very young, experienced moments of tremendous success, and then went through a complicated stage before rebuilding his career. “He talks in depth about his early successes and the low moments that he perhaps reached as a consequence of them. Many things I found very relatable,” said the British player.
It is a particularly significant read for a player whose career was forever marked by that breakthrough in New York. Five years after that feat, Raducanu continues to live with the consequences of having reached such an extraordinary peak so early. She herself acknowledges that expectations and external judgments have become a significant burden, although she claims to have learned from the whole process.
Now her goal seems to be less related to a specific number or immediately regaining that level and more to rebuilding day by day. “If you obsess over results and put too much pressure on yourself, things usually don’t go too well,” she explained from her experience.
Raducanu has not competed since the Queen's final last June and missed Wimbledon and the US Open due to a leg injury. After withdrawing from the China Open, her return could take place in Wuhan, although it is not yet confirmed.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La lección de Agassi que Raducanu quiere aplicar a su carrera