Emma Raducanu was unlucky in 2024, but regular tennis is the way to go, says Laura Robson | Tennis news

Emma Raducanu has been unlucky with injuries in 2024 but is “still figuring out what works for her” and regular tennis is the way to go, she said. Sky Sports expert Laura Robson.

Raducanu, who rose to stardom when she won the US Open three years ago, has been beset by problems and earlier this month announced she had withdrawn from two more tournaments as she continues her recovery from a foot injury.

The 21-year-old was then targeting a return to the WTA 250 Hong Kong Tennis Openlive on Sky Sports from October 28 to November 3, but she has also pulled out of that event now after confirming she would be ineligible to run.

Raducanu missed the Paris Olympics and then played just one hard-court tournament before the US Open in August, where she was dispatched in the first round by former Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin.

“The break came after Toronto and, in hindsight, I should have kept playing and then had a little more momentum going into the US Open,” Robson said. Sky Sports.

Raducanu said afterwards that the decision had been a “collective call” between her and members of her coaching staff, but insisted she would learn from the experience.

“I feel down, like I feel sad. This is a tournament where I really want to do well,” Raducanu said.

“I’ll just go back to the drawing board and train and analyze where I went wrong and try to improve for the rest of the season.

“Obviously the Slams are over for this year, but it’s not really that long until Australia pops up again.

“I would have preferred to play a little bit more before going into the US Open.

“I know when I have a lot of games, like all players, you feel very good, you feel that everything is automatic.

“I can learn from that. And, you know, manage my schedule in a slightly different way.

“It wasn’t just me. It was more like a collective call and that’s what happened, and I can’t really change that.”

Robson said: “It’s hard to hear her say that in New York because you constantly feel as a tennis player that you could have done things differently. It’s still a learning experience and the fact that she’s still figuring out what works for her, figuring out where she wants to play and how many tournaments.

“The style of play has been a little bit more aggressive over the last couple of months, which is great, but I think it’s also a learning curve.

“When you look at her results, when she’s played well and consistently, she can beat almost anybody. She’s a great player with such an offensive style of play, but you just have to be able to do that day in and day out.”

Raducanu is ranked 57th in the world after starting the year at No.285 and with no ranking points to defend, the end of the tennis season could have been much more profitable for the British No.2.

“When you think about the months he’s lost, to come up to where he is now, it’s really impressive. He’s done really well in that respect,” said Robson, a former Wimbledon junior champion. “I think everyone, including her, would like it to happen more often.

“It’s all about finding what works for you and maybe he’s been unlucky in the last few weeks because it would have been a run of four or five events in a row, which would have been great, but then you get a little one. an injury or one problem and you have to start over all the time.

“When you get a chance to play, he’s realized now that’s the way to go and if you can play weeks in a row, do it.”

What’s on Sky Sports Tennis in October?

• Almaty Kazakhstan Open – ATP 250 (October 14-20 – Dan Evans in action)
• Stockholm Open, Sweden – ATP 250 (October 14-20 – Jacob Fearnley in action)
• European Open, Antwerp – ATP 250 (October 14-20)
• Japan Open, Osaka – WTA 250 (October 14-20 – Harriet Dart in action)
• Ningbo Open, China – WTA 500 (October 14-20 – Katie Boulter in action)
• Erste Bank Open, Vienna – ATP 500 (October 21-27)
• Swiss Indoors, Basel – ATP 500 (October 21-27)
• Guangzhou China Open – WTA 250 (October 21-27)
• Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis, Tokyo – WTA 500 (October 21-27)

Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, the NOW streaming service and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50% more live sport this year without no additional cost. More information here.