Emma Raducanu acknowledged the need to “be creative” when facing Aryna Sabalenka but first wanted to appreciate what she considered “one of her best” performances at Wimbledon.
Britain`s No. 1 player delivered a calm and composed display to defeat the 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets in Wednesday`s second round.
Raducanu`s reward is arguably the toughest challenge currently in women`s tennis: a meeting with world number one Sabalenka in the third round on Friday.
The 22-year-old dismissed the notion that her draw was unlucky, stressing that she must defeat the best players if she hopes to make a deep run at her home Grand Slam.
“I think that was one of the best matches I`ve played in a long time, which I`m very proud of,” Raducanu said. “At the same time, I didn`t feel like I was doing anything extraordinary, which is very encouraging. I think I was just doing the basic things very, very well.”
“Winning against Marketa, who is also a top opponent, boosts my confidence in my level. Of course, Aryna is number one in the world and has been incredibly dominant in the women`s game recently, so I know it`s going to be a massive challenge.”
“You can`t hit loose balls against her. I`ll need to be aggressive but select my moments carefully. I don`t think I can simply out-power her in terms of size and strength. I believe I`ll also need to try and be creative.”
“Regarding whether it`s unlucky, you ultimately want to play against the best. You`ll have to face them at some point if you aim to win one of these tournaments. Even though it`s early in the event, I`m looking forward to the opportunity.”
“For the rest of the evening, I`m going to enjoy this victory because I think it was truly special.”
Raducanu had stated on court that there was “no pressure” facing Sabalenka, but clarified in her press conference: “I don`t think any athlete genuinely goes out there without expecting something from themselves.”
“I have my own expectations of what I want to try to achieve on my end. In terms of the outcome, I truly don`t. Especially today, I just want to fully absorb this moment because I know how quickly these opportunities pass. Achieving this result is a significant honor and a testament to the work I`ve put in over the past few months with my team and the people supporting me.”
Emma Raducanu`s Potential Path to Wimbledon Final
- Round one: defeated Mimi Xu 6-3 6-3
- Round two: defeated Marketa Vondrousova 6-3 6-3
- Round three: Aryna Sabalenka
- Round four: Elina Svitolina / Elise Mertens
- Quarter-finals: Madison Keys
- Semi-Final: Amanda Anisimova / Naomi Osaka
- Final: Iga Swiatek / Elena Rybakina
Raducanu: Petchey Has Helped Give Me Direction
Raducanu stated that her confidence has been boosted after a tough start to the year, thanks to having coach Mark Petchey in her corner.
“I think I had much better clarity on what I was trying to achieve today. I also feel more confident in my own game,” she said.
“I think the start of the season was a really tough period for me when I didn`t have a coach. My confidence was very low. As a player, you naturally have periods during the season when you`re feeling a bit less sure.”
“I trusted myself much more compared to earlier in the year. I believe the guidance I`ve had over the past few months has built more consistency and been truly beneficial.”
Raducanu also spoke about the special feeling of having her friends in the players` box supporting her.
“I think there`s something unique about being here at Wimbledon. It truly feels like home. It`s wonderful,” she added.
“I was out there [taking selfies] with my friends. It`s so cool. Having all of them here together is great. They`ve been my constant support through everything. They are the people closest to me besides my family.”
“It`s just incredibly special. They`re right there in the box. When I glance over at them, it provides me with an extra surge of motivation.”
