The former US Open champion Emma Raducanu (Great Britain) said she would make changes to her calendar after losing in the first round of the WTA 1000 Qatar TotalEnergies Open in Doha to world’s No 30 Anhelina Kalinina (Ukraine).
The 21-year-old British tennis player suffered a form slump in the year following her 2021 US Open triumph and was out for eight months in 2023 due to wrist and ankle operations. She returned to the court last month but lost in the second round of the Australian Open as well as in Abu Dhabi before falling to Anhelina Kalinina in Doha.
“It’s hard to get used to the calendar. One tournament ends and another immediately starts. I need to change my program in a better way and have more matches”, commented Emma Raducanu, who is world’s No 262 in the WTA.
The British tennis player needs a wild card to play next week in Dubai, but she is likely to take time off to prepare for tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami next month.
“I have problems with everything – serve, returns, forehand, backhand. To be honest, I had the feeling that I was not coping at all”, admitted Emma Raducanu. “I need to practice more outdoors because everything is different – the light, the conditions, the shadows – it’s hard to see the ball”, added Emma Raducanu, who is looking for an excuse for her poor performances.
