Grass court prep could be key for Raducanu’s Wimbledon hopes
When Emma Raducanu faces Viktorija Golubic today in Nottingham, it will mark the beginning of her first grass court season as a Grand Slam champion.
A year on from a loss against compatriot Harriet Dart at the same event, the British No1 will be looking to hit the ground running after a period of faltering form since her US Open win.
In the 23 matches played since her landmark triumph at Flushing Meadows, Raducanu has won 10 matches and lost 13, falling at the first hurdle in a given tournament seven times.
It’s a somewhat sobering outlook for the 19-year-old who, now back on grass, has the prospect of a second Wimbledon campaign to look forward to.
Raducanu run
In the lead-up to her US Open win, including her breakthrough run to the last 16 at Wimbledon, Raducanu won 15 of her 21 matches in 2021 in a run of fairly consistent form.
Following her fourth round retirement at Wimbledon, she won four consecutive straight-sets matches in Belarus before losing in the quarter-finals.
Thereafter she lost a first-round match in San Jose before making another quarter-final in Pennsylvania and a final in Chicago.
The lead up to her hard court Grand Slam victory, therefore, wasn’t faultless but she was able to get into the rhythm of tournament tennis, multiple matches in a short period of time – something she hadn’t been used to at a high level prior to 2021.
And although her run at Wimbledon a few months earlier was spectacular, it is tempting to wonder whether a similar period of form prior to the major tournament could have been the difference between her fourth-round appearance and going even further.
Grass operates differently to clay and having the feel for the surface in tennis is paramount to success.
I know what I am doing
Raducanu’s lack of professional matches on lawns could be a benefit to her – opponents may not know how her game has developed since Wimbledon last year – but it could be of detriment too, especially as she is currently without a permanent coach.
“I think I know what I’m doing. I’m trusting what I’m doing and the work I’m doing.” she said yesterday.
“I’m quite proud of what I’ve achieved in the past 12 months. [I’m] not being so hard on myself, I’m really enjoying my time right now and also just really believing in the work I’m doing.”
The likes of Hurlingham, Queen’s, Eastbourne and Nottingham offer Wimbledon hopefuls a chance to acclimatise in the UK and adjust their game from the difficult clay to the slightly smoother grass.
World No11 Raducanu is set to get her campaign underway at the latter, a city she has previously won in on the second-tier ITF tour but not the elite WTA circuit.
The draw includes the likes of Camila Giorgi and Ajla Tomljanovic, whom Raducanu faced in the fourth round of Wimbledon last year.
British duo Dart and Heather Watson got their tournaments off to a winning start yesterday. Watson beat Katie Volynets 6-4 6-2 while Dart toppled Donna Vekic 6-4 6-3.
Raducanu has a chance to set herself up for what is sure to be a high-profile return to Wimbledon with the kind of run that she had prior to the US Open.
And while her career remains in its infancy, and there is not enough data to say whether she needs good form to carry into a major, a strong showing at Nottingham this week could be just what she needs to prepare for her first home Slam as US Open winner.