Emma Raducanu has refused to be overly critical of her early exit from the Australian Open, citing an injury-hit build-up that left her unprepared. The British 28th seed lost 7-6 (3), 6-2 to Anastasia Potapova in the second round, having led 5-3 in the first set.
Raducanu, 23, struggled with a foot injury throughout the off-season and only began intensive drills days before her first match. 'I don't want to give myself too much of a hard time because I know my preparation going into this tournament,' she said. 'I have to leave with my head held high.'
The former US Open champion admitted she was not at her best, particularly with her serve and forehand, which she attributes to her disrupted schedule. 'If you would have told me I would have played four or five matches in Australia, from a physical perspective, it would have been pretty surprising,' she added.
Raducanu is now focused on returning to her aggressive baseline game, emphasising that she wants to 'hit the ball to the corners and hard' rather than rely on variety. She is scheduled to play in Cluj, Romania, on 1 February but plans to 'go back and keep working' to rediscover her form.
