Emma Raducanu has spoken about her fitness (Image: PA)
has insisted that she is ready for the challenges coming up at the following her recovery from a back spasm, saying she feels “dangerous”. The 22-year-old British star faced a hiccup last week, bowing out of Auckland’s warm-up tournament due to what she termed a back ‘niggle’.
Despite this, she has been honing her skills at Melbourne Park this week. During her press conference ahead of the tournament, Raducanu disclosed that the trouble stemmed from a spasm she experienced while training in London.
“I’ve been feeling good,” she expressed. “I think the last 10 days I’ve had a positive block of training. Coming back on the court, adapting to the conditions here, has been good for me. Now I feel good and I feel ready to give it my best here.
“One morning I was warming up, bent over to tie my laces, and I had a spasm. That was really it. It took a while to clear. I’ve had them before. They’ve usually settled within a few days. But this one niggled for a couple of weeks. I had to miss quite a bit of training before I left, wasn’t able to play Auckland.”
After suffering only sporadic appearances post- last year mainly due to a foot injury, limiting her to just 10 matches, Raducanu bounced back to represent Great Britain in the Billie Jean King Cup in November.
Her sterling performance included three wins that significantly lifted her confidence, as evidenced by her productive practice sessions this week in Melbourne.
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Emma Raducanu has struggled with a back problem recently (Image: PA)
Raducanu said: “I’ve been playing sets with top players. I’m feeling like I’m holding my own more than OK in those instances and practices. I feel pretty good with my game. I’m looking forward to putting it on the match court. I think I can be a dangerous opponent for anyone really.”
The Brit faces a challenging first-round match against 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova and Raducanu admitted: “It’s a tricky draw, of course. Being unseeded, you can play any top opponent. She’s a player with a lot of experience. I guess I’m coming in with the underdog mentality. She’s been in this situation many more times than I have.”
Raducanu has also introduced a new member to her team, esteemed fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura, aiming to boost her physical resilience and fulfil her potential. However, she remains realistic about the process, stating: “I think building a body, that’s a continuous process. I think it’s not something that you necessarily put a timeline on.
Ekaterina Alexandrova is set to face Raducanu (Image: Getty)
“Like, ‘OK, in a year I’m going to be a top athlete’. Even when you’re a top athlete, there’s always things you can do better. But I think I do already feel a difference when I step on the court.
“I feel like I’m quite reactive and explosive. I think that stems from my warm-ups being not necessarily warm-ups but they’re more like a bit of a session. I feel just ready to go when I’m on the court.”