Emma Raducanu reveals her ‘best friend’ and biggest sacrifices
Emma Raducanu has lived through a tumultuous three years since she shot to global prominence by winning the US Open.
The young Brit has been the subject of huge global media interest since her iconic win in New York, but the last couple of years have brought negativity on and off the court.
Injuries have derailed Raducanu’s ambitions to shine at the top of the sport and she has also come under fire for some of her scheduling decisions in recent months after she opted out of playing in qualifying for major events after her ranking slipped.
Now she has revealed some of her biggest secrets in a revealing interview with Women’s Health Magazine, as she opened up on a number of big issues in her life.
The youngster had her life turned upside down when she won the US Open and she admits her mother Renee has been a huge source of support.
“My mum is a big pillar of mine in all senses – professional and personal,” she said. “She knows me inside out, it’s kind of freaky, so I go to her a lot. She’s my best friend.
“When it comes to tennis and work, I talk to my coach a lot – and my doctor – but I definitely challenge their points, too.
“Recently, HSBC did a survey that showed 45 per cent of people said they made a better decision when consulting other people, and I definitely think that rings true.”
Raducanu also spoke about the sacrifices she has needed to make to thrive in tennis, as she admitted she wanted to go out more with her friends but needed to put her career first.
“There were certain moments where I felt envy – like when there were parties that I couldn’t go to, but at the end of the day, I didn’t know any different,” she stated.
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“You don’t miss what you don’t know. I knew I wanted to be the best and I knew what I needed to do to get there, so I didn’t think of it as a sacrifice. Newstead is pretty demanding, so it wasn’t like I could take it easy off the court, either.
“I put all my time into tennis or school, but it was good to have those two different worlds: school and tennis. Each was a break from the other.”
Reflecting on her time in the spotlight she added: “There has been a lot of volatility over the past three years and I think the most I’ve come into myself has been in the last few weeks.
“One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is non-attachment; acknowledging that everything comes and goes. Every moment is fleeting, and how you interact with the present dictates how you feel, the quality of your work, the quality of your relationships, and how much the people around you enjoy being with you.
“I’ve taught myself not to label things as black or white. For example, with this injury, I’m trying to catch myself and stop labelling it as like, “Oh, I’m so unlucky, this is so bad.” I’ve learnt to accept things and reframe them.
“I’m not completely unable to exercise, so I’ll still do things like yoga or Pilates – low-impact exercise, so I’m focusing on that. I’ve matured a lot in the last few weeks, to be honest.”
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