‘I want to be in the game till I’m in my 30s,’ Emma Raducanu adamant of having a long run in tennis unlike Ash Barty
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Ash Barty and Emma Raducanu
At the age of 19, Emma Raducanu is projected as the next big thing. She stunned the world last year at the US Open by becoming the first-ever qualifier in tennis history to win a grand slam title. Given her British nationality and multi-cultural heritage, Raducanu became an overnight sensation and is one of the most hyped athletes in the world currently.
The Brit is currently making a debut at the Miami Open and ahead of her opening match, she spoke about Ash Barty’s early retirement from tennis. Barty, the World No.1, on March 23, announced that she will be retiring from tennis at just 25 years of age. Raducanu, at Miami, said that she wants to be in the game as long as possible, unlike Barty.
“For me, I want to be in the game as long as possible. I’m only 19. I’ve just come on tour and I want to be in the game till I’m in my 30s,” said the US Open champion at Miami.
“I took 18 months off in 2020 and started in 2021. Because I had that desire to really be out there on the court, I was so hungry, I feel like I had some great results last summer,” she added.
Emma Raducanu on how schooling is helping her in tennis
On Barty’s retirement, Raducanu said that her decision shows that the sole emphasis shouldn’t always be on tennis. She then spoke about the role of education in her tennis journey and how people quit schooling early to play tennis only to pick up injuries at an early age.
“It just shows you don’t need to be only tennis, tennis, tennis. I think that the education part helped a lot. I know a lot of players who quit school when they’re 12 or 13. They overtrain and they pick up injuries. When you’re that young, it’s not healthy to be training that many hours,” she said.
She feels that by having school, she keeps her mind occupied. She also spoke about her love for motorsport and things she does to keep her mind fresh. “I feel by having school, it definitely kept my mind occupied. Opened up the more intellectual side of tennis, because I feel like I like to use my brain more. I really like motorsport, so when I get time off, which is pretty rare, I just try and spend time with my family and friends, catch up, always following the races,” she added.
About her season, she said that all she cares about right now is getting her season back on track. “Right now all I care about is getting through the season in one piece,” she said. “I feel like because I have been losing early every week, I don’t really care because I kind of like the challenge of being knocked down and trying to climb back up there.”
On her Miami debut, Raducanu will face Czech Katerina Siniakova in the second round.
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Lakshya Chopra
(2649 Articles Published)