Raducanu Acknowledges Clay Court Movement Challenges

MADRID: Emma Raducanu of Great Britain admitted on Friday that she needs to refine a specific aspect of her performance on clay courts, despite being uncertain about the methods to achieve this improvement.

Following her exit from the Madrid Open after a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 loss to Marta Kostyuk, the 24th seed, Raducanu expressed her current lack of clarity on how to enhance her clay court skills.

Despite demonstrating moments of brilliance, Raducanu’s limited experience on clay, with only a few matches in recent seasons, was apparent when facing the more seasoned Ukrainian player.

“I consider it a positive step to advance and participate in two matches on outdoor clay courts,” she remarked.

“I would say I noticeably don’t feel entirely at ease, which I believe is an area for potential improvement and further work.

This marks my second real season on clay, and my first in the last three years. Therefore, I am aiming to maximize my time playing points and training on this surface.”

A crucial element for success on clay courts involves effective movement, particularly sliding. The 2021 US Open champion confessed that this is a skill she is still developing.

“I found movement to be quite challenging,” Emma Raducanu confessed.

“I felt like I was frequently slipping and struggled to quickly exit corners and recover after serving. I am uncertain on how to improve this, so I intend to review this and focus on it in the coming week.”