Emma Raducanu opens up on the impact of key team member after clinical US Open win.
Emma Raducanu has spoken about her decision to turn to a back specialist to try and resolve the ongoing issues she has been battling with for the last few months.
The 2021 US Open champion suffered back spasms while playing against Danielle Collins on a clay court at the Strasbourg Open in May and it continued to trouble her through the grass court season.
Now she has spoken for the first time about the advice and treatment she has been receiving from chiropractor Jerome Poupel, who has previously worked with F1 drivers, rugby players, and even horses.
“He’s been helping me for the last year, I would say,” said Raducanu, who also struggled with a back issue during the grass-court season.
“I’ve had back problems for the last year, so he’s just really helped with that. As I’ve been playing more tennis and training more, it’s just important for me to stay on top of that.
“It’s cool, you know, he’s worked in F1, he’s worked with horses, so it’s very different. But I’m just enjoying having him around. He’s a great calm but eccentric kind of character.
“Will he travel regularly? I’m not sure. He was at Wimbledon, and it went pretty well. So the body feels good, feel clear. So I’m happy to have him here in America.
“He just arrived and I’m looking forward to just continuing, really doing day to day. He is just a great character. Very smooth, smooth talking. Just a lot of fun to be around.”
Raducanu is a big Formula 1 fan and she reflected on the different type of movement top drivers need compared to that of a tennis player.
“With the racing drivers, they have to react at such high speed, with so much force going through their bodies. For me, I’ve always kind of been curious about that, and asked him about that and reaction time,” she added.
“We haven’t necessarily got to work on it, and I don’t know what he can help me with to do that, but it’s something that I want to improve my reaction times. And what better way than someone who’s worked with F1 drivers, I’ve just not spent enough time with him to do that.”
Raducanu started her US Open campaign in impressive fashion with a 6-1, 6-2 win against Japanese qualifier Ena Shibahara, as she recorded her quickest ever win in a Grand Slam event by wrapping the match up in one hour and two minutes.
Her movement was impressive as she dispatched Shibahara with minimal fuss, with Poupel’s input clearly having a positive impact.
