On the eve of another tense fortnight at Wimbledon, Emma Raducanu had every reason to feel overwhelmed by the circumstances she found herself in. As her troublesome back injury continued to restrict her work on the practice court, she has also had to deal with undisclosed personal issues. Her expectations for the tournament were low.
It is reflective of Raducanu’s personal growth and maturity that she has taken those difficulties in her stride and found a way to continue to move forward. In one of her most significant matches of the year so far, Raducanu spectacularly rose to the occasion on Centre Court, producing a brilliant performance to outplay the 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 6-3, 6-3 and return to the third round.
With the victory, Raducanu set up a highly anticipated third-round showdown with Aryna Sabalenka, the world No 1. The Belarusian had earlier defeated Marie Bouzkova 7-6 (4), 6-4.
“I think today I played really, really well,” Raducanu said. “I think there were some points that I have no idea how I turned around, I think one for sure that I remember in the second set. I knew playing Marketa was going to be an extremely difficult match, she’s won this tournament and it’s a huge, huge achievement. She’s also in form really well. I’m just so happy about how I competed, put my game on the court and I was just focused the whole way through.”
Despite Vondrousova’s lesser ranking of No 73, this was an extremely difficult match against one of the most in-form players in the draw and Raducanu was the underdog. Even though the Czech has endured an injury-ravaged career, her talent has always been undeniable and she offered a reminder of it just 10 days ago by spectacularly winning the Berlin Open, with wins over Sabalenka and Madison Keys. Her form, and the fact that she defeated Raducanu in their only meeting this year, in Abu Dhabi in February, made her the favourite.
As the late afternoon shadow expanded across the court and both players settled into the familiar surroundings of Wimbledon’s showcase, the early exchanges offered few surprises. While the Briton tried to dictate from the beginning by taking the ball early and changing directions frequently, Vondrousova attempted to arrest her rhythm by constantly mixing up the trajectory, spin and speed of her shots while placing the ball in the difficult position.
But Raducanu was ready. She served well early on and her comfortable early service games emboldened her to take full control of the baseline. She imposed sustained pressure on Vondrousova with her relentless aggression, eventually taking the first break of the opening set with a supreme running backhand down-the-line passing shot, establishing a 4-2 lead. Raducanu did not allow her poor subsequent service game to dent her confidence, immediately retrieving the break before closing out the set.
With the first set secured, Raducanu continued to put Vondrousova under constant pressure, suffocating the Czech with her return and particularly striking her forehand brilliantly. Raducanu’s relentless positivity on-court has been notable recently; almost every winning shot was punctuated with a triumphant fist-pump, but her composure in the decisive moments was even more impressive. She remained calm throughout the second set, serving extremely well as the finishing line neared.
Raducanu said: “I knew today, I had to be aggressive because Marketa would beat me if I was gonna push the ball around but Mark [Petchey] has helped me a lot. Everyone in that box has really been there for me, my friends, it’s amazing to have them here as well.
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In recent months, the British player’s perspective towards herself and the way she manages her career has shifted significantly. Raducanu has strived to surround herself with familiar faces she trusts in order to ensure that she can be completely honest with both the people surrounding her and herself. She has come to understand that the only way she can find success in this sport is if she understands how to truly enjoy her work.
Along with the improvements to her mental approach, this performance was also a reflection of three months of work with her current coach Mark Petchey. Despite their unusual ad-hoc setup, with Petchey often planning their work around his broadcasting schedule, Raducanu has taken positive steps forward.
They have worked hard on her serve, which after being a massive liability earlier this year was excellent in the important moments here, particularly as she fended off break chances deep in the second set. She has forced herself to dictate more with her forehand, and the improvements on that stroke were clear as Raducanu ensured that her forehand was the dominant stroke in the match. She will now try to bring both her growing confidence and quality to her upcoming meeting with the best player in the world.