Emma Raducanu’s Positive Reflection on Her 2024 Season

Emma Raducanu competed in a career-equalling 36 matches during 2024, achieving a 23-13 win-loss record. As is typical for athletes recovering from significant injuries, Raducanu has required both patience and a balanced outlook. The 22-year-old British tennis player spent the current year reconstructing her professional career, having been absent for the majority of 2023 due to operations on both wrists and her left ankle. Having been ranked 303rd globally in April, the 2021 US Open champion has since re-entered the top 60 and expresses optimism, following a challenging season that concluded positively. BBC Sport examines Raducanu’s development and potential areas for the British number two to enhance her performance in 2025. A year prior, as Raducanu prepared for her comeback, she articulated her intention for a “fresh start”. Ascending nearly 250 positions in the rankings is considered remarkable by any measure. Indeed, her ascent this year has been surpassed by only three other WTA competitors: Japan’s four-time major winner Naomi Osaka (who moved from unranked to 59th), Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic (from 549th to 85th), and American Amanda Anisimova (from 359th to 36th). Achieving such a significant leap in the rankings after participating in only 14 tournaments that award points is a point of satisfaction for Raducanu. The sole player ranked within the top 60 who has competed in fewer events is Czech athlete Karolina Muchova, a US Open semi-finalist. “Sometimes I need reminding: I’m top 60 and I’ve played less than 15 events, which is pretty unheard of,” Raducanu stated to BBC Sport. “I have to pat myself on the back for that.” Her comeback initially showed consistent, rather than extraordinary, progress. Periods of positive performance were interspersed with challenges, underscoring the necessity for moderated expectations. The pinnacle of Raducanu’s year occurred during the British grass-court season. Reaching the quarter-finals in Nottingham and the semi-finals in Eastbourne preceded an encouraging Wimbledon campaign, which concluded in the last 16 but intensified her “fire”. Raducanu opted not to participate in the Olympics and experienced a challenging US Open series, prior to securing her fourth quarter-final appearance of the season at the Korea Open in September. Although a foot injury interrupted her progress, she concluded the season strongly by winning all three of her matches, contributing to Britain’s advancement to the BJK Cup semi-finals. “I know I’m a dangerous player,” stated Raducanu, who accumulated £11m during her return year and ranks seventh globally among female athletes in earnings, as reported by sports business experts Sportico. “I know no-one wants to pull my name in the draw. I take pride in that and I’m looking forward to hopefully staying on court longer next year.” Nevertheless, her journey has been anything but straightforward. A straight-sets loss in Madrid to Argentine qualifier Maria Lourdes Carle, occurring just one week after she had challenged world number one Iga Swiatek on the Stuttgart clay, served as a stark reminder of reality. Following this, Raducanu voiced complaints about feeling “exhausted.” This drew some criticism, notably from her BJK Cup captain Anne Keothavong, yet it also highlighted the ongoing physical conditioning required. While workload management has been crucial, it occasionally resulted in adverse outcomes. Raducanu competed in just one event between her appearance at the All England Club in early July – where she withdrew from mixed doubles with Andy Murray during his Wimbledon farewell – and the US Open in late August, which contributed to a tentative first-round elimination in New York. Subsequently, she made a tearful acknowledgment that it constituted a “lesson learned.” Despite this, during the Asian hard-court swing, Raducanu appeared poised to establish a new personal record for Tour-level matches played within a single year. Her absence from the remainder of the WTA season due to sprained foot ligaments jeopardized this goal, yet her participation in the BJK Cup allowed her to match her prior personal best of 36 Tour-level matches. Sonay Kartal, the British number three, contends that Raducanu merits considerable praise for her handling of challenges while under significant public examination. “Going from being out for a few weeks to back on the match court is tough. To do it at the highest level is even tougher,” Kartal, who is both a close friend and a childhood rival, informed BBC Sport. “People always looking in on you doesn’t help. Tennis is stressful as it is, so it makes it even tougher.” Following her BJK Cup participation, an invigorated Raducanu promptly commenced her pre-season training regimen in London, incorporating a new member into her support staff. Esteemed trainer Yutaka Nakamura, known for his previous collaborations with Maria Sharapova and Osaka, has been engaged to assist in enhancing her physical resilience. “I needed a more tailored approach and someone dedicated to me,” Raducanu commented. She is scheduled to travel to Brisbane this week to continue her preparations before the new season commences on 30 December. “My athleticism is a big strength that I have nowhere near fulfilled. I think I can become one of the best athletes in tennis.” Coach Nick Cavaday, her childhood mentor with whom she reconnected at the beginning of 2024, will maintain his position within her closely integrated team. Specific focus is being directed towards developing her serve into a “weapon.” The adjustment to lengthen her takeback, after employing a shorter swing during the summer, has resulted in improved rhythm, consistency, and power. “Yutuka adds another dimension to the way Nick and I work – it has become integrated and connected,” Raducanu further stated. “We can already see things that we do in the gym transferring onto the tennis court.” She concluded, “We’re on a journey of exploration.”