The British tennis ace says she needs ‘pressure and adrenaline’ outside of her sporting career
Emma Raducanu has revealed she is considering making a new move away from her tennis career, claiming she needs “pressure and adrenaline” in other areas of her life.
The tennis ace was propelled to fame after winning the 2021 US Open at the age of 18, with her remarkable triumph seeing her become the first British woman to win a Grand Slam since Virginia Wade at Wimbledon in 1977. However, since then, maintaining form has proven difficult for Raducanu, who has seen her progress impeded by recurring injuries.
The 22-year-old is currently competing at the Italian Open but has revealed she is hoping to make a big life change in the coming months, with a return to education on the cards as she looks to avoid tennis taking over her life.
“I’m going to start studying more,” she said in a joint interview with Mail Sport and the Guardian while out in Italy. “I think I need that. I’ve missed it for the last few years. I need something to stimulate and engage my brain so my entire life isn’t just tennis.”
Asked whether this will be formal study, Raducanu replied: “I haven’t decided yet. I think so. Whether I take my third A level, whether I go into a degree, I feel like I need some sort of pressure and adrenaline in that area of my life.
“Growing up, I always had tennis as an escape from studying and studying as an escape from tennis. So it wasn’t just my entire life, my entire personality dependent on this one thing.
“I loved studying and I still do. I love those moments on my own, quiet reading in the library, figuring things out myself. In this life, where it’s so busy and there’s so many people around, it’s nice to have that little retreat. Solving problems, getting a certain grade on an exam… your self esteem isn’t just reliant on a win or a loss.”
Explaining that she is considering taking a third A Level in English, politics or physics, Raducanu admitted she had previously felt at times that tennis was becoming an obligation for her, as she added: “The last few years of my career have been a big, big learning curve. I don’t have all the answers now but I feel like I’m starting fresh. I want to do things in a different way.
“I’m working to see what I can do to bridge the gap between where I am now and the top of the game. I’m working on a few things, in my game and off the court, setting up my life in different ways.”
The admission came as she opened up on being “burned quite a lot of times” in her career and personal life, since soaring to fame off the back of her US Open win. Admitting that it is “very difficult” for her to trust new people, she said that she is now like “Fort Knox” when it comes to letting those around her in.
“I am very independent and that definitely comes from my mum,” said Raducanu. “She’s the strongest person I know, has gone through so much in life and she’s always taught me to rely on people as little as possible. But sometimes you do need to lean on people. I have become less afraid to do that.
“It takes a lot for me to open up. I haven’t truly opened up to many people in my life. Once I let someone in, I let them in fully, and I care for them so much. I have been burned a few times, a few people who I’ve really trusted have surprised me.
“It’s very difficult for me to trust new people. I find myself gravitating towards those people I’ve known before the US Open. My circle is smaller than ever,” she added.
“Up until I won the US Open, I was so sheltered. Up to 18, I was just with my parents. It was like nothing could touch me.
“And then all of a sudden everyone came and I got burned quite a lot of times, whether that’s professionally or personally. Now I’m very Fort Knox with who I let in.”