Emma Raducanu admits to struggles after Madrid Open exit

MADRID: Britain's Emma Raducanu on Friday, acknowledged that she needs to improve one area of her clay-court game despite 'not really sure how to improve that'.

Raducanu, who crashed out of the Madrid Open after a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 defeat at the hands of 24th seed Marta Kostyuk, said that right now, she does not know how she can improve.

Despite showing flashes of brilliance, Raducanu’s limited history on clay, with only a handful of matches over the past few seasons, was evident against the more seasoned Ukrainian.

“I think it’s positive to get through and play two matches on the outdoor clay courts,” she stated.

“I would say that it is pretty noticeable to me that I don’t necessarily feel very comfortable, but I think that’s something that I can improve on and work on.

“And it is my second proper clay season and the first one in three years. So I think I’m just trying to give myself a chance to play as many points as I can on it, and also [I need] time on the court training as well.”

One of the most critical aspects of being a good clay-court player is how one moves, particularly slides, on the court, and the 2021 US Open champion confesses that she is still to learn the trick.

“I found moving really difficult,” Emma Raducanu admitted.

“I felt like I was slipping around, but it was taking me a long time to get out of the corners and after the serve as well. I’m not really sure how to improve that, so I guess I’ll just take that back and try to work on it in the next week.”