Emma Raducanu: British star confident of 'doing a lot of good things' at Wimbledon - 'Just a matter of when'

ByAlasdair Mackenzie

Published 28/05/2024 at 16:51 GMT

Emma Raducanu has talked up her chances of a title tilt at Wimbledon, saying "if not this year, next year" in an interview with Grazia magazine. The 2021 US Open champion has struggled for form and fitness in recent years and skipped Roland-Garros to prepare for the grass and hard-court seasons. But the world No. 205 says she "fully backs herself" and thinks it's "just a matter of when" at SW19.

Emma Raducanu says “it’s just a matter of when” she will make her mark at Wimbledon as the former US Open champion prepares for a fresh assault at SW19.

The Brit burst onto the scene in 2021 aged just 18 with an extraordinary shock triumph at Flushing Meadows, where she became the first qualifier ever to win a major.

However, Raducanu has struggled with injuries and form in the years since and is yet to enjoy a deep run at her home Slam, where she hasn't gone further than the fourth round.

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That history hasn’t discouraged the 21-year-old, though, as she told Grazia that she is full of confidence ahead of her visit to the All England Club this year.   

“I feel good. I’m playing well and I’m training really hard, I’m doing a lot of good things and I know it’s going to happen. If not this Wimbledon, the next Wimbledon,” she said.

“I fully back myself and trust myself. It’s just a matter of when really.

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“I’ve been doing all the right things so I’m just looking forward to playing in front of a home crowd.”

Raducanu also admitted that it took her some time to come to terms with the impact of her stunning achievement at such a young age.

She became an inspiring figure in British tennis, being the first woman from the country to win a major since Virginia Wade in 1977.

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“I didn’t really know or have any awareness that if I achieved great things, the impact it would have. I would say only in more recent years have I understood how far sport can go,” Raducanu said.

“To think that a kid would have my poster on their wall is pretty surreal. I feel like I’m playing for all those young players, they inspire me to be the best player on the court.”

Raducanu withdrew from the French Open a day before qualifying began as she opted to focus on building her fitness for the grass and hard-court seasons, with Wimbledon coming up from July 1-14.

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“It’s important for me to keep laying on the foundations, and I will use the time to do a healthy block before the grass and subsequent hard-court seasons to give myself a chance to keep fit for the rest of the year,” Raducanu said.

Raducanu hasn’t featured since suffering a first-round defeat to Maria Lourdes Carle at the Madrid Open in April.

Before that, there were encouraging signs with wins over Angelique Kerber and Linda Noskova during a run to the Stuttgart quarter-finals.

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