Emma Raducanu gets some strong advice from former British No 1 amid ongoing illness
Emma Raducanu is a notable absentee from this year’s Madrid Open, as he extended time away from the sport continues amid an ongoing issue with a viral infection.
Raducanu has not played since a heavy defeat against Amanda Anisimova at the start of March and her plans to return at this week’s Madrid Open were shelved shortly before the draw.
There has been speculation that the 2021 US Open champion will now skip the entire clay court season and look to return on her favoured grass courts in June, but former British No 1 Greg Rusedski has suggested she should try and play before them.
Despite her lack of activity on court, Raducanu is still on course to be seeded for next month’s French Open, but she has yet to confirm whether she intends to play at Roland Garros.
Now Rusedski has urged her to try and make it back on court soon, as she looks to kick-start a career that has been plagued by injury and sickness issues over the last five years.
More Tennis News
Madrid Open withdrawals: 23 stars out as Amanda Anisimova latest big name on growing list
Concerns for Emma Raducanu after latest announcement leaves big question marks
“If your preparation on the clay is really good, even if you’re not a natural clay quarter, your results really end up going well on the grass court season,” said Rusedski, on the latest edition of his podcast.
“I always felt that myself. I wasn’t the best clay court player on the planet, but I used that period to get myself stronger, move better, you know, get all those aspects in. So when I came to the grass, it was just so easy.
“So Emma needs to get back on court. You can’t just say, okay, let’s give up clay and let’s just get onto the grass courts. I think you’ve got to get the balance.
“The first thing is get healthy. Get rid of this virus, get to your nutritionist, get your diet right, get your vitamin intake, what you need to get rid of this virus. Because it’s such a shame she hasn’t been able to play it.
“It feels like forever she hasn’t played a tournament. I know she flew out to Madrid. So, you know, fingers crossed she’s ready to go in Rome.”
The WTA 1000 tournament in Rome is the next possible comeback date for Raducanu and if she doesn’t play in that tournament, she could head into the French Open without any clay court practice under her belt.
Despite her lack of time on court, Rusedski is convinced there can be good times ahead for the British No 1 if she can regain her health and fitness.
“It’s been too long away for the game and it’s been too much stop-start. She’s too good a player not to be knocking on that door,” he added.
“Everybody’s got to manage their body differently. For me, I always believe skinny is strong with a good diet.
“Novak [Djokovic] at one stage, I know with his team, they were complaining about him not eating enough. You know, he was just having too much of liquid diet, was too skinny, but then he got the balance with protein, nutrition, everything right to work out the way he wanted to eat.
Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.
“And I think that’s what she has to go. She has to figure out, okay, where’s my nutrition? Where’s my supplements? Where’s my physical programme? How much tennis, how much gym, and getting that balance right? It’s really tricky because we all have different body types, all different metabolisms.
“Then also the recovery time. That’s where you look at someone like Jannik Sinner. He’s just a gold standard in the men’s game.
“And you look at Aryna Sabalenka and she’s the gold standard in the women’s game. She’s never injured, she schedules great, she’s always on everything, she still enjoys her life outside of tennis.
“It’s all about not leaving any stone unturned and just doing the smaller things a little bit better. And that’s why Sabalenka is number one, and that’s why Sinner’s number one. There’s no surprise.”
READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu and Victoria Mboko’s first grass-court event of season confirmed
