Emma Raducanu has 'rekindled the love for tennis' as Wimbledon preparations continue
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Published 24/06/2024 at 20:49 GMT
Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu said she has "rekindled" her love for tennis that has "been missing" for "the last few years". The 21-year-old missed this year's Roland-Garros in order to concentrate on her fitness for the grass season. Raducanu reached the Nottingham Open semi-finals earlier this month and faces Sloane Stephens in Eastbourne on Tuesday.
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Emma Raducanu said she has "rekindled the love for tennis" and is "enjoying the challenges" that come with competing in the sport.
Raducanu spoke in April of feeling "mentally and emotionally exhausted", as she struggled to hit the heights of her US Open-winning campaign in 2021.
The 21-year-old missed this year's Roland-Garros in order to focus on returning to full fitness for the grass season, and has impressed since her return to action - reaching the semi-finals of the Nottingham Open before losing to eventual winner Katie Boulter.
"It's a nice feeling for me because it hasn't always been the case," she told BBC TV.
"I'm very happy to have rekindled the love for tennis and just enjoying the challenges that come with it and not getting so down about it, just trying a way to go around."
Raducanu had previously spoken about intense media attention following her stunning US Open win in 2021, and alongside relentless injury issues, the world No. 168 has struggled to make a run towards the latter stages of a Grand Slam since.
When asked if she had got her spark back, Raducanu replied: "I would say right before Nottingham it happened.
"I'm just really grateful to have this feeling again because it's something that I feel like I've been missing in a way for the last few years, and I haven't felt this good about my tennis and excited about it and passionate for a long, long time."
Raducanu will face fellow former US Open champion Sloane Stephens in Eastbourne on Tuesday, as preparations continue for Wimbledon, which starts on July 1.
Alongside opting not to participate at this year's French Open, Raducanu also opted out of the Paris Olympics in order to focus on her fitness.
She said she is in much "better spirits" heading into the grass major.
"I really feel like I'm in a lot better spirits on and off the court," Raducanu said.
"Someone actually commented the other day - 'Oh, it's like you're back to your old self' - and I'd actually say, 'No, it's my new self' because I have the experiences that I've learned from the past me, too."
Raducanu will learn her first-round opponent for Wimbledon when the draw is made on Friday.
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