Raducanu Bows Out of Australian Open with Pragmatic Outlook
Emma Raducanu has waved farewell to her Australian Open aspirations following a straight-sets defeat in the second round. The British number one, seeded 28th, fell to Russia's Anastasia Potapova with a scoreline of 7-6 (3), 6-2, ending her campaign in Melbourne earlier than hoped.
Injury-Ravaged Preparation Takes Its Toll
Raducanu refused to be overly critical of her performance, pointing to a disrupted build-up as a key factor. "I don't want to give myself too much of a hard time because I know my preparation going into this tournament," she stated post-match. The 23-year-old revealed she had battled a foot injury throughout the off-season, only beginning intensive drills days before her first competitive match of the season.
This physical setback meant Raducanu arrived in Australia undercooked, a reality that impacted her ability to sustain her level throughout the tournament. "If you would have told me I would have played four or five matches in Australia regardless of how they went, I think from a physical perspective, it would have been pretty surprising," she admitted.
A Promising Start Fades in Challenging Conditions
The match itself began promisingly for Raducanu, who established a 5-3 lead in the first set. However, she struggled to maintain her rhythm in windy conditions at Melbourne Park. "It was one of those you're 5-3 up, but you're not feeling particularly good, and you're trying to tough out every point however you can," Raducanu explained.
She added, "It's not the way that I want to really be playing. It got me in the lead. I just didn't feel like I could scrap the whole match." Potapova, ranked world number 55, capitalised on Raducanu's inconsistency, particularly on serve and forehand, to secure victory and dash British hopes of a potential third-round clash with world number one Aryna Sabalenka.
Looking Ahead: A Return to Core Strengths
Despite the disappointment, Raducanu leaves Australia with her head held high, taking positives from her time on and off the court. "I have to leave with my head held high because of the matches I've had here," she said. "I didn't even know at the beginning if I would be coming to Australia, so it's a positive in that sense."
Her immediate focus shifts to re-evaluating her game. Raducanu believes she has strayed from the aggressive baseline style that propelled her early success, including her historic US Open triumph. "At the end of the day, I just want to hit the ball to the corners and hard," she asserted. "I feel like I'm doing all this variety, and it's not doing what I want it to do. I need to just work on playing in a way more similar to how I was playing when I was younger."
She emphasised the need for simplicity: "I always just changed direction, took the ball early, and went for it. I think I do have the ability to do many things on the court, but I feel like as I'm learning all those skills, it's like I need to stick to my guns a bit as well and work on that. For me, it's pretty simple."
Next Steps in a Long Season
Raducanu is next scheduled to compete at the WTA 250 event in Cluj, Romania, beginning on 1 February. However, her primary goal is to rebuild her game and ensure she enters future tournaments fully fit. "The season is still quite long," she noted optimistically. "Hopefully if I stay healthy, do the right things, then it will start falling into place."
Her pragmatic approach underscores a player determined to learn from setbacks. "I just need to take it for what it is, be pragmatic, and go back and keep working," Raducanu concluded, ready to tackle the challenges of the 2026 tennis calendar with renewed focus on her core strengths.
