Emma Raducanu declared herself ready to compete with the best players at the Australian Open after recovering from a back spasm.
The 22-year-old pulled out of a planned warm-up tour in Auckland last week with what she described as a cramp, but has been training at Melbourne Park this week.
Raducanu revealed during her pre-tournament press conference that the source of the problem was a spasm suffered during training in London.
“I felt good,” she said. “I think the last 10 days I’ve had a positive block of training. Getting back on the pitch, adapting to the conditions here, it’s been good for me. Now I feel good and I feel ready to give my best here.
“One morning I was warming up and bent over to tie my laces and had a spasm. That was it. It took a while to clear up. I’ve had them before. They usually subside within a few days .But this one tried for a few weeks, I had to miss a lot of training before I left, I couldn’t play with Auckland.
It was another physical setback for Raducanu, who played just 10 matches last year after Wimbledon, missing two months with a foot injury before recovering in time to play for Great Britain at the Billie Jean King Cup in November.
There she won all three of her matches and her confidence has been boosted by good performances in practice this week.
“I played groups with good players,” she said. “I feel like I’m holding myself more than OK in those situations and practices. I feel really good about my game. I can’t wait to put it on the court. I think I can be a really dangerous opponent for anybody.”
Raducano given a tough draw against 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrovawhich she was due to play at Wimbledon last summer before the 30-year-old withdrew.
“It’s a tricky draw, of course,” Raducanu said of Tuesday’s contest. “Being upset, you can play any top opponent. She’s a very experienced player. I think I’m going in with the underdog mentality. She’s been in this situation a lot more times than I have.”
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Lauran Robson and Tim Henman discuss the impact Raducanu’s new fitness coach will have and how she can improve her fitness
A new member of Raducanu’s team for this season is renowned fitness coach Yutaka Nakamura, with the former US Open champion hoping he will help improve her physical resilience and reach her potential.
She doesn’t expect overnight results, saying, “I think building a body is an ongoing process. I don’t think it’s something you have to put a time limit on.
“Like, ‘OK, in a year I’ll be a good athlete.’ Even when you’re a good athlete, there’s always things you can do better. But I think I already feel a difference when I step on the court.
“I feel like I’m pretty reactive and explosive. I think that stems from my warm-ups that aren’t necessarily warm-ups, but they’re more like a session. I feel ready to go when I’m on the courts.
“How long that will last, I’m not sure. I trust his work and I trust his judgment.”
Boulter: This number is named after me for a reason
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Highlights of an epic United Cup clash between Katie Boulter and Iga Swiatek
Britain’s top seed is Katie Boulter, who is the 22nd seed and looks to continue her upward momentum.
Boulter is now targeting the top 10 and showed what a threat he can be to the top players by pushing world No.2 Iga Swiatek all the way at the United Cup last week.
“Iga is one of the best in the game,” Boulter said. “I really felt like I might have crossed that line. I felt like I was pretty calm in that situation as well, which I haven’t always felt when playing massive players.
“I think that kind of mindset is going to help me win those games. I really believe I can do it.
“I believe this number is in my name for a reason. I want to move it higher and higher.”
Boulter, who has guaranteed support at home following her engagement to Australian No.1 Alex De Minaur, opens her campaign against Canadian Rebecca Marino on Tuesday.
What’s happening on Sky Sports Tennis?
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- Dallas Open (ATP 500) – February 3-9
- Delray Beach Open (ATP 250) – February 10-16
- IEB+ Argentina Open (ATP 250) – February 10-16
- Open 13 Provence (ATP 250) – February 10-16
- Transylvania Open (WTA 250) – February 3-9
- Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open (WTA 500) – February 3-8
- Qatar TotalEnergies Open (WTA 1000) – February 9-15
- Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship (WTA 1000) – February 16-22
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