British tennis star Emma Raducanu has shared her new mindset as she prepares for the Madrid Open. According to the athlete, she is now following the idea of “less is more”.
In an interview with Sky News, Raducanu admitted this new approach means focusing on quality over quantity, and being more selective in how she trains and competes. The athlete recently had a strong performance at the Miami Open in March, reaching the quarterfinals. This has been her best result since winning the US Open in 2021. With this, she is hoping that this more balanced strategy will help her succeed in upcoming tournaments.
Raducanu told Sky News: “I’ve realised now that less is more for me sometimes. I work really intensely and really hard and can definitely be partial to overkilling it sometimes. It’s just making sure when I’m on the court I’m maxing out for X amount of time so I can focus, and then once I’m done, I’m switching off better.”
The young player also declared that while many players feel they need to play lots of matches to improve, she believes it’s important to find the right balance. For her, instead of constantly competing, it’s better to take a step back, reset, and refocus, especially during long and demanding tournaments.
In a social media post, Raducanu shared some moments of her time during the Miami Open season:
View this post on Instagram
Netizens commented on this post and remarked: “Amazing tournament. You are on the right way, patience and discipline. ⏳”, “Absolute joy to watch! High quality tennis played throughout! Took a world No.4 at her peak to get through!”, “She is back!!! Amazing journey in Miami, congrats 👏👏👏”, and “Great tournament. Onwards and upwards 🎾👏🏼”
On having a new coach
The 22-year-old athlete had reunited with her former mentors, Iain O’Donoghue and Mark Petchey, as part of her preparations to get back on her best form as she continues with her tennis career. Both of these coaches have worked with her in the past, and their support has been helpful for Raducanu.
However, she is searching for a new full-time coach.
Even though Petchey is with her in Spain, the athlete said that they have not reached any formal agreement yet. She stated: “We haven’t made anything formal. It’s pretty informal for now but is something that’s going really well…He’s [Petchey] someone I feel I can trust because I’ve known him so long. For now it’s working really well, and it’s nice to be with someone that I feel comfortable with.”
Emma Raducanu is set to begin her Madrid Open with a first match against Suzan Lamens, a Dutch player who is currently ranked No. 69 in the world.
If Raducanu wins her early matches and everything goes well, she’s likely to face world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals.