Emma Raducanu during the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup (Image: AP)
is spending her Christmas season Down Under as she gears up for a fresh onslaught in 2025 at the .
Raducanu, 22, insists she’s finally fighting fit and poised to “fulfil my potential.”
The young Brit has faced a tumultuous three years since capturing the world’s attention with her fairytale win.
Plagued by injuries and under fire for allegedly prioritising endorsement deals over her tennis career, Raducanu is now set on a renewed start.
In readiness for her campaign, which kicks off at the Auckland Open on December 30, Raducanu has hired Yutaka Nakamura as her first permanent physical trainer on tour.
She’s dialling back on extracurricular commitments, eager to sharpen her focus on tennis. Reflecting on her rise to stardom, she stated: “I’m obviously very grateful and fortunate to have had certain experiences and opportunities but I wasn’t prepared for the other things that inevitably do take some energy out of you,” she said.
“I think I’ve learned how to say no a bit more. Initially I felt really bad for letting people down. I’d always want to do extra for whatever partner or magazine or whatever I’m shooting for.
“I’d always want to do extra if they wanted to do another half day. I would do it and I’d fit it in around my schedule. I would put my practices early and then do that in the afternoon. I’m always going to try and do my best to give extra to the brands I’m working with. Especially since I had a year off pretty much with injuries.!
But now, it is about prioritising herself. Raducanu admits, “But also just putting myself first a little bit more.”
Raducanu, who has struggled with injuries, has enlisted the help of Nakamura, a fitness expert who has worked with tennis stars Maria Sharapova and . The goal is to build Raducanu’s physical resilience, allowing her to compete in a full WTA season.
Emma Raducanu in action in Nottingham. (Image: Getty Images)
Last year, she managed just 34 matches. “I want to play more than I did this year,” Raducanu said.
“And I appointed Yutaka because I really wanted to spend more time and energy on my fitness. I think now with my setup, I’m in a place where I can continue work on the road.
“With my tennis, I’m in a pretty good spot. I feel like I just want to see how much I can do, fulfill my potential. I’m curious about what my level can get to. I really want to play more. And I think a big part of that is just staying healthy.”
During her time off due to injury, Raducanu reflected on her goals, exploring her creative side through painting and playing the piano, and visiting her grandmother in China. This period of introspection marked a turning point, prompting her to set new objectives for the upcoming year.
Having achieved a lifetime ambition at 18, Raducanu is now focused on pushing herself further.
“When I first started, before I won the US Open, my main reason was: ‘I want to win a Grand Slam.’ And that happens so young. I’m so grateful for it. But as soon as that happens, I’m like, ‘okay, well, what now? I want to win another Grand Slam.’ It’s just not sustainable.
“Because when you don’t win another Grand Slam straightaway, you get frustrated with that. Now, the reason I play is genuine. I really enjoy what I’m doing, how I’m working, the people I’m working with. And I just want to see how good I can be. I really want to see how fast I can be. How fit I can be.
“It’s literally just about playing it like a game. Seeing how far I can go. That for me is really sustainable. Because there’s no result on it. I genuinely don’t have a goal. It’s more about enjoying what I am doing, collecting these good days of work, just seeing how far it can go.”
Raducanu will swap a chilly London December for the sunny climes of New Zealand this festive season, alongside her best friend Izzy. Embracing change, she plans to cherish a “hot Christmas with a barbecue on the beach,” while planning a return to traditional cold Christmases in the distant future.
“It’s just different for someone who grew up in London,” she explained. “December in London is my favourite time of year. But I guess I’m just gonna make peace for the next 10 or 15 years and then I’ll come back and have a cold Christmas.”