Emma Raducanu, the former US Open champion, intends to adjust her tournament schedule following her recent loss to world number 30 Anhelina Kalinina in the Qatar Open’s first round.
The 21-year-old experienced a significant decline in performance after her victory at Flushing Meadows in 2021. Moreover, she endured an eight-month absence from the tour in 2023 due to injuries, undergoing surgeries on her wrist and ankle.
Raducanu made a comeback last month but faced early exits at Auckland, the Australian Open, and Abu Dhabi before being defeated by Kalinina in Doha with a score of 6-0, 7-6 (8-6). As a result, she plans to return home after a hectic period on the tour.
Expressing her struggles with the tour schedule, Raducanu, ranked 262nd globally, emphasized the need for better tournament planning to gain more match experience.
For the upcoming Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Raducanu will require a wildcard entry, but reports suggest she will take a break before participating in Indian Wells and Miami next month.
In her recent loss, Raducanu committed 48 unforced errors and attributed her lackluster performance partly to playing during the daytime.
“I was struggling with everything, serve, return, forehand, backhand. To be honest, I felt like I never really got into it. It was a combination of things,” she elaborated.
“Honestly, I need to practice training outside a bit more because it’s different, and also the light, conditions, shadows – it’s hard to see the ball, I found towards the end.
“When the tennis isn’t there, you have to at least try to fight, and I think I did that in the second set.”
