Emma Raducanu acknowledged her difficulty in managing the rigorous schedule of the WTA Tour when she was eliminated in the first round of the Qatar Open this week. Following a disappointing performance, the British No. 7 admitted to struggling with various aspects and emphasized the necessity of improving her tournament scheduling. She suggested that opting for lower-level tournaments could be advantageous in gaining more match experience.
Raducanu was granted a wildcard entry into the WTA 1000 Doha tournament, experiencing her first first-round defeat of the year against world No. 30 Anhelina Kalinina, losing 6-0 7-6(6). Immediately following the match, a disappointed Raducanu expressed to Sky Sports, “I feel like I had difficulty with all aspects of my game – serve, return, forehand, backhand.
There’s no question that the 21-year-old has demonstrated her ability to compete against some of the world’s top players once again. Since her return in January, she has already defeated a top 40 player in Marie Bouzkova. However, participating in higher-level 1000 and 500-point tournaments has posed challenges for Raducanu to advance further.
As of now, the 2021 US Open champion has yet to progress beyond the second round in any event. A tournament featuring lower-ranked players could offer her the chance to compete in three or four matches in a single week and learn to manage recovery in between. Raducanu herself hasn’t dismissed this possibility.
“After losing to Wang Yafan at the Australian Open, I truly believe that the competition level in these ‘lower-level tournaments’ isn’t significantly lower. You acquire numerous skills and experience various playing conditions, such as wind,” she commented, emphasizing her point.
“My opponent has accumulated a lot of match experience through ITF tournaments, but the level of play isn’t significantly different. I’ll choose tournaments based on what fits my schedule and plan,” Raducanu remarked. It remains uncertain how Raducanu will organize her schedule in the upcoming weeks, but she might seek wildcards for the WTA 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami.
In the event of an early exit in Indian Wells, there’s a WTA 125k tournament in Charleston as an option to gain additional match practice before Miami. Depending on how far down Raducanu is willing to drop, the ITF W50 tournament in Macon, France, during the week of February 26 could be a convenient option considering her training base in London.
Adjusting to longer stints in tournaments could be the missing element for Raducanu to recapture her winning form from the 2021 US Open. Since then, the British player has only managed to win three consecutive matches at two distinct tournaments.
Additionally, injuries have prevented her from completing a full year on the tennis circuit. Raducanu possesses the necessary skills, and the outcome of matches may not be paramount at this stage. What’s crucial is her adaptation to playing matches week after week and accumulating more match experience to draw upon in challenging moments.
