Emma Raducanu seemed disappointed that she wouldn’t be able to go hiking as she rejoins the WTA Tour’s clay court swing. The 2021 US Open champion was on hiatus from the Tour after an impressive Miami Open, where she reached the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 event for the first time since her historic victory at Flushing Meadows.
Raducanu decided to take time off after Miami to “look after my body” (as per Skynews.com) and to recruit a new coach after parting company with short-term trainer Vladimir Platenik immediately after crashing out of the BNP Paribas at Indian Wells. Raducanu is strongly rumored to be courting fellow Brit, Mark Petchey, who helped her temporarily in Miami.
The 22-year-old shared an image of her in the countryside, on a hike, reveling in the sunshine and exercise. She captioned her Instagram post:
“Going to miss my hikes”
Emma Raducanu has suffered several injuries since her Major win, which have curtailed the progress many expected from the Englishwoman. Ranked just inside the top 50, Raducanu is yet to live up to her promise as an 18-year-old.
Emma Raducanu’s Miami Open effort could herald a return to her 2021 form
Emma Raducanu defeated eighth seed Emma Navarro and 17th seed Amanda Anisimova en route to the Miami Open quarterfinals, before losing to eventual finalist Jessica Pegula in the last eight. She also put out much-fancied American McCartney Kessler, who retired at 0-3 in the second set, but had been comfortably outplayed by the Brit.
Those performances hinted at a return to form for Emma Raducanu. Her tennis since 21 has been plagued by a succession of injuries, together with off-court issues that have included an inability to settle upon a support team she can trust and rely upon. During the Miami tournament, she was interviewed on the court after the Kessler match and indicated that her personality demanded that she be allowed a free rein:
“When I’m playing my best tennis I’m really expressing my personality. I’d say I’m a bit of a free spirit so I don’t need restrictions or being told what to do”
It appears that Raducanu will be easing back into competition at the WTA 250 Open de Rouen, rather than in Stuttgart, where she has appeared for the last three years. Talks are ongoing with Petchey, who is contracted to the Tennis Channel as a broadcaster, and he may well be the next coach charged with the task of getting the very best out of Raducanu.