Emma Raducanu faces 'big challenge' as Brit told to get used to smaller tournaments after latest loss
Emma Raducanu has been advised to familiarize herself with playing in less prominent tournaments because her professional development seems to be going in the opposite direction.
On Monday, the British player was eliminated from the Indian Wells tournament after losing to Aryna Sabalenka, who has won the Australian Open two years in a row, in two straight sets.
Raducanu is still making a comeback after being absent for a significant part of 2023 due to surgery on her ankle and wrist.
After making a comeback in early January, she only managed to achieve three victories before participating in Indian Wells last week.
Emma Raducanu has been cautioned that there will be many obstacles in her athletic journey ahead.
The young woman began her campaign strongly by defeating Rebeka Masarova from Spain and also advanced to the next round as the opponent, Dayana Yastremska, withdrew from the competition owing to injury.
Sabalenka appeared to be the most challenging opponent Raducanu had encountered since she began playing again in the third round.
It turned out to be true as the player from Belarus won 6-3, 7-5 and made the previous top British player leave the game.
Raducanu had a few promising instances during her match, and her adversary praised her as being 'extraordinary'.
Tennis expert Jonathan Overend has explained the difficulty that he believes Raducanu must overcome in order to regain her momentum.
According to Overend, Raducanu took a different path compared to other players her age after winning the US Open at 18 years old and breaking records.
According to him, she needs to adjust to participating and triumphing in less significant competitions since she achieved a significant success at the beginning of her profession.
During a segment on Sky Sports, Overend commented that Raducanu's journey is unlike the typical career path.
Emma Raducanu was knocked out in the third round of the Indian Wells tournament.
According to Broady, the individual in question possesses the necessary skills to excel at tennis. However, her injuries have hindered her progress. She has undergone surgery and is now committed to training. The challenge lies in managing the other aspects of her life. One can only truly understand how to manage such challenges by experiencing them firsthand.
She's currently going through a period of learning. All aspects of the business are still fresh to her. A significant portion of her team has been released, and she's expressed a desire to downsize even further.
I believe that she was accompanied solely by her coach Nick Cavaday during her time in Indian Wells. Many of the elite athletes are accompanied by a physiotherapist, psychologist, and fitness instructor.
She's trying to keep things as minimalistic as she can and is only employing individuals whom she believes in.
Emma Raducanu did not play much in 2023 because she had to undergo surgery on her wrist and ankle.
Raducanu has been granted an invitation or special entry to participate in the upcoming Miami Open tournament.
She felt satisfied with her performance over the past few days and thought to herself, "I achieved something worthwhile."
In my opinion, I have conducted myself in a much more effective manner while on the tennis court. I displayed more optimism and eagerness to compete, and this was evident in the quality of tennis I exhibited.