Emma Raducanu heads into the 2025 US Open ranked No. 35, just missing out on a seeded position, but she exudes a sense of calm and contentment that marks a change from previous years[2]. During her pre-event press conference, Raducanu reflected on her personal and professional growth, emphasizing that she now feels much more relaxed and happy with both her tennis and her progress as an athlete. “Compared to four years ago, I feel relaxed, I feel happy… just enjoying my tennis, enjoying practising, enjoying competing, and the process of getting better,” she said[2].
Raducanu acknowledged the intense scrutiny and negativity she faced after her historic 2021 US Open victory, admitting that outside pressure affected her for several seasons. However, she notes that she has reached a more balanced mindset: “That kind of affected me a lot in the last few years. It still definitely gets me from time to time, but overall I think I can enjoy what I’m doing day to day a lot more. I have good people around. I’m just happy that I’m in this place with my tennis”[2][3].
On the competitive side, Raducanu looks poised to end her US Open “drought” after several difficult seasons marred by injuries—ankle and wrist surgeries, as well as coaching changes, had dropped her out of the Top 200 by the close of 2023[4]. In 2024 and 2025, however, she staged an impressive comeback, with strong runs including the semifinals at Nottingham and Washington, quarterfinals at Stuttgart, Eastbourne, and Seoul, and claiming her first career Top 10 wins over Jessica Pegula (Eastbourne) and Maria Sakkari (Wimbledon)[1]. Most recently, she reached the semifinals in Washington and delivered a resilient performance in Cincinnati, pushing World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to three sets and two tiebreakers[4].
A major development for Raducanu this summer has been her new coaching partnership with Francis Roig, the longtime former coach of Rafael Nadal, which she credits for helping her rediscover joy in her daily training and competition. “I think so far it’s been going pretty well,” Raducanu said, adding that the chemistry and fast-paced improvement bode well for her future[4].
As the US Open begins, Raducanu is focused on growth and finding happiness in the game, hopeful that this fresh approach will lead to renewed success on the Grand Slam stage[2][3][4].
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