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Emma Raducanu has opened up on her sudden withdrawal from the 2023 Madrid Open.
Raducanu came into last year's Madrid Open on the back of three successive defeats. However, with just a few hours to go before her first-round match against Viktoriya Tomova, the 2021 US Open champion withdrew from the WTA 1000 tournament.
Ahead of her withdrawal, the Brit appeared in a somber mood as she infamously answered 16 questions in only 58 words during a press conference. Raducanu's 2023 Madrid Open withdrawal saw her drop out of the top 100 for the first time since September 2021. Subsequently, she underwent wrist and ankle surgeries, which cut short her season.
The 21-year-old returned to action at the 2024 ASB Classic in Auckland in January this year. So far this season, Raducanu has mostly remained injury-free with the exception of a lower back injury that ruled her out of the Miami Open. Currently ranked World No. 221, the Brit is set to start her Madrid Open campaign against Maria Lourdes Carle.
Recently, Raducanu sat down for an interview with Sky Sports Tennis, where she looked back on her withdrawal from the Madrid Open last year. According to her, she knew very well that she would have to undergo surgery, but did not want to divulge the details to the press. She also talked about being "gutted" about the situation.
"Obviously, a lot was going on. I knew I was going to have to have surgery. I didn't want to say anything about it [in the press conference] but I was a bit gutted about that," Raducanu told Sky Sports Tennis.
However, Raducanu also expressed her optimism and confidence for the rest of this year's clay court season.
"I'm in a much better place with my tennis. Mentally I feel really confident and I'm just looking forward to the rest of the clay season, to be honest," she added.
"I still have a long way to go" - Emma Raducanu after reaching Stuttgart QF
Raducanu's last outing was at the recently-concluded Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. The 21-year-old reached the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 event after battling past Angelique Kerber and Linda Noskova.
The Brit showed flashes of brilliance against both Kerber and Noskova, and was dominant in both matches. However, following her win over Noskova, Raducanu said that she still felt a long way away from being at her "best".
"I must say I’m not too surprised because I’ve been working really hard on the training court and I knew it was a matter of time. Honestly, I don’t think this is my best. I still have a long way to go," Raducanu told Andrea Petkovic during her post-match on-court interview.
Raducanu met World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals, where the Pole came out on top following a 7-6(2), 6-3 victory.
