British tennis sensation Emma Raducanu has recently shared her ambitious plans to play a full schedule during the Asian swing, following a summer filled with speculation and criticism about her tournament choices.
The 21-year-old rising star, who captured the hearts of fans around the world with her historic US Open victory, faced scrutiny for her selective schedule earlier in the year. After opting to skip both the Rome Open and French Open, many questioned her decision-making process. Some believed that her absence from the Roland Garros event was due to not receiving a wild card and not wanting to play through the qualifying rounds.
Furthermore, Raducanu drew criticism for prioritizing the summer hard court season over competing in the Paris Olympics. Despite only playing in Washington and having a three-week gap before the US Open, she faced backlash for her choices.
Following a tearful first-round defeat at the US Open, Raducanu expressed regret over her scheduling decisions leading up to the final Grand Slam of the year. However, she has made a triumphant return to the court this week at the WTA 500 tournament in Seoul, where she secured a hard-fought victory over Peyton Stearns.
In an interview with WTA Insider, Raducanu defended her scheduling strategy, stating, “I always knew there was a really long block in Asia at the end of the year, and I didn’t want to overdo myself in the first half of the year. I have to prioritize, and Asia was one of those for me. So I stacked the year on the backend heavy, because I’m excited. I thrive in Asia. It’s where I truly feel like home.”
Looking ahead, Raducanu’s schedule includes back-to-back WTA 1000 tournaments in Beijing and Wuhan, along with potential appearances in Osaka, Ningbo, Tokyo, Guangzhou, and the WTA 250 event in Hong Kong. Despite the challenges and criticisms she has faced, the young tennis sensation remains focused and determined to excel on the court during the upcoming Asian swing.
