“When you are playing matches you have to be your own coach” Emma Raducanu hits back at critics over no head coach at the French Open
Emma Raducanu
World No. 12 Emma Raducanu is all set to make her debut in Roland Garros when she plays in the upcoming 2022 French Open which starts on Sunday, 22nd May. The French Open remained the only Sma where she had not placed her foot yet but that will be covered this year as well/
Emma however reaches the Grand Slam without any dedicated head coach as she parted ways with Torben Beltz after a stint of less than 6 months and her entourage includes LTA’s Head of Women’s Tennis Iain Bates, hitting partner Raymond Sarmiento and physio Will Herbert along with technical advisor Louis Cayer, a doubles specialist of the LTA, all on a temporary basis for the major in Paris.
The Brit has been criticised for the constant changing of coaches as Beltz was her third coach since the 2021 Wimbledon when she was training under Nigel Sears followed by Andrew Richardson, her coach during her victory run at the 2021 US Open. Emma has however hit back at all critics with a bold justification.
“It is not difficult. I am enjoying my tennis at the moment, and also when you are playing matches you have to be your own coach, so I am very confident in what I am doing right now. It was my first clay season. I think I have improved a lot and progressed faster than I thought. I am looking forward to trying to see and put together everything I have learned these last few weeks in my prep,” said Raducanu as per Eurosport.
Emma Raducanu discusses her new fitness regime and her return to France as a Pro
With Emma suffering multiple injuries since the start of the season that have limited her performances and led to unwanted withdrawals, Emma has increased her shift in the gym in order to build a strong core and take care of her body in order to remain fit for French Open where the surface is quite a challenge.
“I am putting together something, figuring out what works physically, because that is obviously an element of my game that needs to be looked at. The last few days maybe after the back (injury) I have definitely been increasing my gym work and I have been doing a lot more. I think it’s something I’m definitely learning to enjoy with each bit that I do.
“I kind of get that positive reinforcement and I feel really good about myself. It’s something that I think helps you mentally as well if you know you’ve definitely put the work in. I’m going to be out there, I am going to outlast or be fitter than my opponent on the other side of the court. It’s definitely something that I want to continue,” said Emma on her routine as per Dailymail UK.
As Emma prepares for her French Open debut, she also revealed having played in France earlier and was excited to explore things available for Pro’s that weren’t available for the pre-teen Emma.
“It is amazing to be here as a pro. You get into parts you couldn’t as a junior, so I’m still figuring out where things are. I love being able to play the slams and the biggest tournaments, it is why you play this sport. When I was younger, we did some under-10, and under-12 friendly matches against France with the federation. They are some of my best memories of tennis, playing those matches,” added Emma as per Eurosport.
Also Read: How will Wimbledon prize money be affected after ranking points get removed by ATP and WTA?
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Sarthak Shitole
(3452 Articles Published)