After a stable run of kind for Emma Raducanu, when can we anticipate to see her in motion subsequent on the brand new Sky Sports activities Tennis channel?
The 2021 US Open champion has had broadly optimistic outcomes since getting back from an eight-month damage lay-off final yr, after closing down her 2023 season following a first-round exit in Stuttgart in April.
Raducanu helped steer Nice Britain to a spot within the Billie Jean King Cup finals as they beat residence favourites France on clay, and carried on that kind into the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix at Stuttgart.
She misplaced to world No 1 Iga Swiatek within the quarter-finals – a rematch from the identical stage two years in the past, and her finest efficiency this yr. She additionally beat former two-time Stuttgart champion and three-time Grand Slam winner Angelique Kerber within the opening spherical.
However her kind took a dip on the Madrid Open when the 21-year-old exited the event after a disappointing first-round straight-sets defeat by world No 82 Maria Lourdes Carle.
Raducanu pulls out of French Open qualifying
Having missed the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, Raducanu signed as much as play a WTA 500 occasion on clay in Strasbourg.
Nevertheless, she withdrew from the event, after which withdrew from French Open qualifying to deal with coaching for the grass and hard-court seasons.
Sky Sports activities’ Anne Keothavong spoke of the advantages Raducanu would soak up resting forward of the grass-court season, whereas additionally stating the chance in ready so lengthy earlier than enjoying once more.
“It’s a number of weeks between now and the first grass-court event. That’s a long training block and she’s already had eight months off on the sidelines,” Keothavong mentioned.
“She has said and proven she gets confidence from the hours she puts in on the practice court.
“We speak rather a lot about head, coronary heart and legs, and in case your head and your coronary heart aren’t in it, your legs do not stand an opportunity.
“It was really disappointing to see. She said she was tired, but do you talk yourself into more tiredness?”
Grass season and Wimbledon
Raducanu will start her preparations forward of Wimbledon on the Rothesay Open in Nottingham from June 10-16 after accepting a wild card.
Raducanu has performed in Nottingham twice earlier than, dropping to compatriot Harriet Dart previous to her Wimbledon breakthrough in 2021 and pulling out with damage after solely seven video games of her first-round match the next yr.
The Rothesay Traditional in Birmingham takes place from June 17-23, whereas her last likelihood of enjoying aggressive tennis is on the Rothesay Worldwide in Eastbourne from June 24-29 earlier than the beginning of The Championships on the All England Membership.
Raducanu made her breakthrough on the Grand Slam the place, barely two months out of faculty and with no Tour win to her title, the 18-year-old made the fourth spherical on debut in 2021.
Not all plain crusing for Raducanu
Since her return to the WTA tour, Raducanu did not win any back-to-back matches till reaching the third spherical of Indian Wells.
She had been as a result of face China’s Wang Xiyu within the first spherical of the Miami Open after being awarded a wildcard for the occasion, however was pressured to withdraw from the event as a result of a decrease again damage.
She was hampered by a abdomen bug throughout her loss on the first main of the yr, the Australian Open, however her tennis was encouraging and she or he stepped up her comeback with victory over Marie Bouzkova in Abu Dhabi earlier than being denied a spot within the quarter-finals by Ons Jabeur.
What’s developing on Sky Sports activities Tennis?
Within the run-up to Wimbledon you’ll be able to watch all the largest tennis stars in motion dwell on Sky Sports activities as they compete throughout the grass-court season.
- Stuttgart Open (ATP 250 with Andy Murray in motion) – June 10-16
- Rosmalen Open (ATP/WTA 250) – June 10-16
- We may subsequent see Raducanu in motion on Sky on the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington from July 29-Aug 4 or the Nationwide Financial institution Open 1000 occasion in Toronto from August 6-12
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