Emma Raducanu ‘learned to say no’ as she admits sponsorship deals ‘took energy out’ of her and affected her tennis

Emma Raducanu has admitted that lucrative deals with top brands distracted her but now she wants to focus more on tennis.

Emma Raducanu ‘learned to say no’ as she admits sponsorship deals ‘took energy out’ of her and affected her tennis

Emma Raducanu (Image via X)

Emma Raducanu has learned her lesson and her honest admissions proved that her critics were not wrong after all. Since lifting the 2021 US Open, she signed lucrative sponsorship deals with top brands and it made her one of the richest sportswomen in the world, despite not earning enough on the WTA Tour.

On the court, she was not performing consistently. She had a stop-start season as she wasn’t just able to keep injuries at a distance. But Raducanu, now 22, has become more ‘structured’ and it seems she is starting to learn how to manage her schedule well so that she can focus more on honing her tennis skills.

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Also, I think I’ve learned how to say no a bit more. Initially, I felt really bad for letting people down. I’d always want to do extra for whatever partner or magazine or whatever I’m shooting for. I’d always want to do extra if they wanted to do another half day. I would do it and I’d fit it in around my schedule.

Emma Raducanu told reporters (H/T: Telegraph)

Raducanu was a teenager when the tennis world revolved around her with her US Open win. She wasn’t ‘prepared for’ all the ‘communication about things off the court’.

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And I would always, always give my 100 percent on the court. I was always working really hard, but I just think that I wasn’t prepared as well for the other things that inevitably do take some energy out of you.

Emma Raducanu added

Emma Raducanu wants to work a lot on her fitness

Emma Raducanu will fly this week to New Zealand for the next season. She will first spend some time with her friends in Auckland before playing the ASB Classic. Next, she plans to participate in the Adelaide International before the Australian Open.

Emma Raducanu
Emma Raducanu (Image via X)

Raducanu however is wary of her setbacks. Injuries have often hindered her schedule and to deal with them, she has hired fitness coach Yutaka Nakamura, who used to be in the team of Grand Slam champions Maria Sharapova and Naomi Osaka. The Brit wants to spend more time and energy on her fitness.

That’s when I was really like: ‘OK, I want to bring someone in to come with me on the road so I can continue the physical work.’ I started looking at Yutaka and exploring that option.

Emma Radcuanu told reporters

Raducanu last played at the Billie Jean King Cup following her comeback from a foot injury she suffered during the quarterfinals of the Korea Open. The injury ruined her plans for the Asian swing and it forced her to withdraw from the rest of the tournaments.