Raducanu Ready for Sabalenka Test at Wimbledon

British number one Emma Raducanu acknowledges the significant challenge of facing Aryna Sabalenka in the next round but is first taking time to appreciate her strong performance against Marketa Vondrousova at Wimbledon, which she regards as one of her best.

Raducanu delivered a composed and effective display on Wednesday, defeating the reigning 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets during their second-round encounter.

Her reward is a third-round match against world number one Sabalenka on Friday, a matchup considered one of the toughest in women`s tennis currently.

The 22-year-old dismissed the notion that her draw was unfavorable, emphasizing that to go far in her home Grand Slam, she expects to face and defeat the top players.

“I believe that was one of my strongest matches in quite a while, which makes me very proud,” Raducanu stated. “Crucially, I felt I wasn`t doing anything extraordinary, which really boosts my confidence. I focused on executing the fundamentals exceptionally well.”

“Beating Marketa, who is a genuinely top-tier opponent, reinforces my confidence in my current playing level. Naturally, facing Aryna, the world number one who has been incredibly dominant in women`s tennis over the past few years, presents a huge challenge.”

“You cannot afford to hit `weak balls` against her. I need to play aggressively but choose my moments wisely. I don`t plan to simply out-power her, given her size and strength. Instead, I anticipate needing to be creative on the court.”

Regarding the perceived difficulty of the draw, she commented, “When it comes to unlucky draws, you ultimately want to compete against the best. To win these tournaments, you have to face them at some point. Even though it`s early in the event, I`m genuinely excited about the opportunity.”

“For the rest of this evening, I`m going to truly enjoy this victory because it felt particularly significant.”

Their only previous meeting was at Indian Wells the previous spring, where Sabalenka won in straight sets, but the match was competitive enough to offer Raducanu encouragement.

Sabalenka has faced some stern tests in her initial two matches, and the vocal support from the Centre Court crowd will undoubtedly play a role for Raducanu.

While Raducanu mentioned on court that facing the three-time Grand Slam champion brought “no pressure,” she later elaborated in her press conference: “I don`t believe any athlete truly competes without any self-expectation. I have my own personal goals regarding what I aim to achieve with my game.”

“However, regarding the outcome, I genuinely have no fixed expectations. Especially today, I just want to fully experience this moment because I know how quickly they pass. Achieving this result is a significant honor and a testament to the hard work I`ve put in over the recent months with my team and the people supporting me.”

Raducanu Credits Coach Petchey for Direction

Raducanu indicated that having coach Mark Petchey on her team has boosted her confidence, especially after a difficult start to the year.

“I felt much clearer about my game plan today. My confidence in my abilities has also grown,” she commented.

“The period at the beginning of the season without a coach was quite challenging for me. My confidence was significantly lower. As a player, you naturally experience dips in form when you lack a bit of support.”

“I trusted myself much more compared to earlier in the year. The guidance provided over the recent months has helped build more consistency and has been genuinely beneficial.”

Raducanu also spoke about the special feeling of having her friends present in her player`s box, cheering her on.

“There’s something truly special about being here at Wimbledon. I genuinely feel at home here. It’s wonderful,” she added.

“I was taking selfies with my friends out there. It’s so great to have all of them in one place. They have been my support system through everything. They are the people closest to me outside my family.”

“It’s just incredibly special. When I look over to them in the box, it provides an extra surge of motivation.”

Raducanu is one of three British players scheduled for third-round matches on Friday. Sonay Kartal and Cameron Norrie will both be playing on Court One. Kartal is aiming for her first appearance in the last 16 of a Grand Slam and will face French qualifier Diane Parry, while Norrie`s win over Frances Tiafoe sets up a match against unseeded Italian Mattia Bellucci.