Not everyone will be surprised to see Emma Raducanu launching a mini-comeback of sorts amid her recent patch of positive form. Or at least fellow tennis star Eugenie Bouchard anticipated a resurgence after lending her support when Raducanu was at her lowest.
It was in the middle of the 2023 season that ‘Genie’ backed her British counterpart at a time when Raducanu was being pressured to improve results amid a spate of incessant injuries. Raducanu, 21, has struggled to build much momentum since her shock triumph at the 2021 US Open, but she now appears to be gaining some speed on the WTA circuit once more.
Bouchard sympathised with what Raducanu is going through after breaking into the sport’s spotlight at such a young age, much like she did. The Canadian revealed how she too would encounter scrutiny on social media if she uploaded content that was to do with anything but training, which Raducanu has had to face as well.
“It’s so funny, people will still be haters, you know what I mean? And I think she will do just fine,” said Bouchard last year. “I think she may be just, kind of like me.
“I did well, kind of right away and then I had to do the steps I missed and she probably just has to go through that a bit. I think she’ll be totally fine, but it’s a tough world out there. So when you have success, you just got to be ready for people to kind of claw you a little bit.”
Raducanu has certainly had to weather some of that criticism, with fans and pundits alike questioning her off-court work for big-name brands like Dior and British Airways. However, after a fourth-round run at Wimbledon and some encouraging results in other competitions, the youngster is looking ready to prove some doubters wrong.
And the household name herself is feeling “feisty” and up for the fight as she prepares for her Flushing Meadows comeback. Raducanu takes on fellow Grand Slam-winner Sofia Kenin in the first round of the US Open on Tuesday, where victory would provide the latest sign yet that the second act of her career is underway.
“I’ve been playing a lot freer in the last month, I’ve been expressing myself and I’ve been fighting, there’s been a lot of passion and I’ve been feisty,” she told Sky Sports. “I just feel a real fire back and a desire. That is me, I’m really tenacious and gritty, and I feel like I’ve got my spark back, which is what I’m most pleased about.”
Raducanu has played only three matches since Wimbledon, which marked her best run at a major since lifting the title in New York three years ago. However, any sense of inactivity hasn’t appeared to affect her confidence returning to the site of her greatest success to date.
While some may not have believed the Briton would get back to that stage, Bouchard has long held faith in Raducanu’s revival. And there’s no better way to prove she’s ready to get back to the top than by letting results on the court do the talking.
