Emma Raducanu left the Open d'Australie 2026 after being defeated in the second round of the first Grand Slam of the season against Anastasia Potapova, but with very positive feelings considering her arrival in the country. Taking advantage of her early elimination, it is the perfect time to pause and evaluate.
Moments after stepping off the court, Emma Raducanu analyzed the evolution of her foot injury during the weeks she competed in Australia, making it clear that she is leaving the Melbourne Grand Slam with hopes regarding those issues, although with some uncertainty about her tennis.
Emma Raducanu, eliminated from the Open d'Australie 2026
"I don't want to be too hard on myself, because I know my preparation for this tournament. I must leave with my head held high for the matches I've played here. At first, I didn't even know if I would come to Australia, so that is positive in that sense. I think playing at different times is also another challenge. Playing from night to day, the conditions are very different. It had been a long time since I played in these conditions, so I didn't handle it very well today," Emma Raducanu confessed in a press conference.
Emma Raducanu points to the match time factor
"When I'm on the court, I don't try to think about any particular technique because even if I feel a certain way about a specific shot, it's not the time to analyze it. It's as if, regardless of how you feel, you just have to push yourself and fight with what you have, whether it's good or bad. You just have to try and tough out any point, however it comes. There are certain shots you don't feel so comfortable with, and that's accentuated by the heat of the day."
About her US Open victory
"With that achievement, you inevitably go back to that lower level. That victory made it too high to just move on so soon. I've embraced it, and all the challenges I've faced since then, learning from mistakes and experience, all of that, I think, in a way, was going to happen when you win a Grand Slam at 18 years old in the qualifying stage, being 350th in the world two months before.
I've learned a lot, for sure. I'm gradually discovering what works for me, and in the Grand Slams, I think I'm doing better. Last year I also had some very tough draws at times. I'm just working day by day and improving as a player, which I think I am doing, but yes, my performance in those three weeks was also amazing. It's a give and take, but I've accepted it."
Update on her foot
"I've been managing it each day. I'm not at 100%, but I've accepted it. It'll be good to reassess everything once this is over, well, now that it's over, and see how it is and if I need to unload a bit or not. Physically, I think I've improved in the last few weeks, even though I've been playing more and my workload has increased, which is positive. Considering how I was at the end of last year, I really didn't know if I was coming to Australia. So feeling like this after five physically demanding matches is positive."
Cette actualité est une traduction automatique. Vous pouvez lire la nouvelle originale Raducanu, tras caer eliminada: "Debo irme con la cabeza bien alta"

