Emma Raducanu has finally explained why she chose to play a lighter schedule over the summer which included missing the Olympic Games.
The former British number one is back in action after suffering a first round exit from the US Open in August.
Raducanu is competing at the Korea Open where she is aiming to win her first WTA Tour title since her stunning run to the title in Flushing Meadows back in 2021.
Raducanu is thrilled to be back competing in Asia and she is aiming to finish the season with some momentum behind her.
What contributed to Emma Raducanu playing a lighter schedule over the summer?
2024 was a very busy summer of tennis which included the French Open, Wimbledon, the Olympics, in addition to the North American hard court swing which included events in Canada, Cincinnati and the US Open.
Emma Raducanu featured in just three of these events and she claimed she decided to withdraw from the Olympic Games to give more time towards preparing for the US Open.
But she appeared in just one tournament before heading to New York, which was the Citi Open, and she also featured in just two clay court events this season, and that does not include the French Open.
However, Raducanu has offered another reason as to why she opted for a lighter schedule this summer, and it refers to the ongoing Asian hard court swing and she is very happy to be competing in those events.
“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. If you look at the tournaments I played it was relatively light,” she told the WTA website.
“I skipped quite a few weeks over the clay knowing that I’m at the stage where I’m not trying to win every event on the clay, on the grass and hard. I have to prioritise 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. So I’m buzzing for that trip even though it’s at the end of the year. I’m looking forward to going out there and trying to take it.”
Which events did Emma Raducanu miss this summer?
After losing at the Madrid Open, Raducanu did not play again until grass court season in June, after choosing to skip Rome and the French Open qualifiers, which raised some eyebrows.
Once again Raducanu decided not to play on clay and skipped the Paris Games and instead headed to the United States to prepare for the Citi Open on the hard courts.
After reaching the quarter-finals in the US capital, the former World number 10 skipped the Canadian and Cincinnati Open events and played the US Open, and faced a tough draw against Sofia Kenin.
Kenin prevailed in three sets and Raducanu was criticised for playing little in the buildup to the US Open and it seemed as though her decision not to play at the Paris Games did not pay off.
But after hearing of her desire to be healthy and rested heading into the Asian swing, it is clear that Raducanu is determined for this portion of her year to be a successful one.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
