Chaos and stress-free Emma Raducanu: I am ready for an amazing summer

On the eve of her first Wimbledon appearance in two years, Emma Raducanu pulled on an England football shirt for a patriotic photo opportunity.

Refreshed by a recent trip to Oxford University, and free from the injury issues that have dogged her, she told reporters that she felt released from the “stress” and “chaos” of the last few years.

Raducanu is among the highest-profile members of a record British contingent in the first round of Wimbledon. Nineteen home players have entered – 12 in the men’s draw and seven in the women’s – although Andy Murray has acknowledged that he could yet withdraw on account of his recent spinal operation.

The last time there were 19 home players in contention was all the way back in 1999, and Raducanu is enjoying the camaraderie. On Saturday, she ended up returning serves from Britain’s seventh-ranked male, Jan Choinski, in what she described as “a really fun evening session.”

Asked if she felt connected to the wider sporting scene – which includes Euro 2024 – Raducanu replied: “Yeah, I would love to be a part of it. I think it’s just an amazing summer of sport. It’s football, it’s F1, it’s tennis, the races. There are so many things going on. I’ve been saying that every day on site right now at Wimbledon is a blessing. You just enjoy the buzz that’s going around.”

Raducanu comes into Wimbledon with four grass-court wins behind her, including one over Jessica Pegula – the world No 5 – that represented her first success against a top-10 opponent. She has spoken over the last week about feeling a renewed enthusiasm for the sport, and about her recent freedom from aches and pains.

“I feel a lot more comfortable this year,” she explained. “There’s a lot less going on. There’s a lot less stress or chaos. I’m more just coming here, doing my practice, playing the match. Like there’s not there’s not much else to it, whereas in 2022 [when she strained an abdominal muscle at the Nottingham event three weeks before] I was in a big rush. Would I be able to play? Would I not?

“And then last year obviously missing it [because of double-wrist surgery in May]. And in 2021, I lost in a Brit Tour like a month before so I was not really feeling amazing. So I think that this is the most settled I’ve been in a while.”

Raducanu has drawn 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round, and is due to play the second match on Centre Court on the opening day of the Championships. “If I get through my first round, I’d be over the moon,” she said on Saturday, in an honest reflection of the size of the challenge.

She has worn a football shirt at Wimbledon before, when she came in for an interview with Sue Barker in 2021. That was the day after she had retired from her fourth-round match against Alja Tomljanovic because of breathing difficulties, but she was still upbeat, predicting better times ahead. She was right then, and, with any luck, she will be right again now.

Raducanu has the potential for a big tournament

Ranked a lowly No 168 after playing just nine tour events in the last year, Raducanu has landed a seed in the first round, and a tough one too. Alexandrova hits a hard, flat ball which will skid through quickly on the lush grass of Centre Court. The Russian is also the sort of impassive character who will not be dismayed by a partisan crowd.

If Raducanu were to lose this one, it would hardly be a disaster, given the quality of the opposition. At the same time, though, the brief grass-court season offers a rare opportunity for Raducanu to boost her ranking and mojo. She moves well on this surface and has a wide repertoire of options.

Above all, Raducanu remains a big name in the UK and has been enjoying the opportunity to connect with her home fans again. If she could sneak past Alexandrova and thus earn a crack at what is otherwise a fairly open section of the draw, there is a chance that her campaign will pick up momentum and snowball its way towards the second week.

Raducanu’s new coach Nick Cavaday has been influential behind the scenes, especially when overseeing a change to Raducanu’s service motion. Her forehand, which is always a barometer of her confidence level, was beginning to look more dialled in last week – at least until the Eastbourne sea breeze blew in with a vengeance on Thursday and messed up her timing.

The backhand is an absolutely copper-bottomed shot, recalling the similarly flawless double-hander that once belonged to two-time major champion Li Na. Given the chance to play her way into the tournament, Raducanu has the potential to be a big story once again this year – but much will rest on the way Alexandrova performs on Monday afternoon.