Emma Raducanu explains how setbacks motivate her and why she deleted social media
Emma Raducanu press conference
Emma Raducanu talks to the media
Emma Raducanu notched only her third win of the 2023 season on Thursday as she defeated Danka Kovinic in the first round of the Indian Wells Open and it was a good result for a player who went into the tournament undercooked.
The new season has not been kind to Raducanu so far as she injured her ankle in her first tournament of the year, the ASB Classic, and was forced to retire from her second-round match.
She then started the Australian Open under an injury cloud due to the problem and, after a solid win over Tamara Korpatsch in her opener, she came unstuck against Coco Gauff in the second round.
The 2021 US Open winner was then due to play at the ATX Open in February, but she withdrew on the eve of the WTA 250 tournament in Texas after being struck down by a bout of tonsillitis.
She also withdrew from the Eisenhower Cup – a mixed doubles charity tournament earlier this week as she was still struggling, but she produced one of her best performances in California in a while as she defeated Kovinic 6-2, 6-3.
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Asked how she stays positive amid the health struggles, Raducanu replied: “I just love competing. Even when it’s against you and you’re just through it, I think having something that, that you are going through, kind of gives you in some ways more incentive.
“Like, ‘OK ‘I’ve got to be aggressive or dominate – there’s somethign to really cling onto and use.”
Since shooting to stardom on the back of her US Open success, Raducanu has enjoyed a lot of ups and downs. Her Flushing Meadows title has seen her become a household name in the world of tennis and resulted in lucrative sponsorship deals.
However, her struggles on court since the start of the 2022 season have resulted in criticism from some quarters.
So how has she been dealing with what has been thrown her way?
“After the AO [Australian Open] I deleted WhatsApp and Instagram off my phone, and after that, I’ve been living under my own little rock,” she revealed.
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“I felt like sometimes you go through patches where you just want to zone in on yourself, and I was very content with my life without it.
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