MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAú

March 23, 2022

Emma Raducanu

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Emma, welcome to Miami. Talk us through your thoughts on being here, thoughts ahead of the tournament.

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think it's my first time playing the Miami Open. One of my first 1000 tournaments. It's definitely going to be a challenge.

Yeah, Miami, I haven't been out yet or seen much, I've just been training hard, getting back pretty late. Hopefully at the end of the tournament I'll go and see something maybe.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. An obvious question: What is your reaction when you heard about Ash, your thoughts?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I mean, I just want to wish Ash all the best because she had a great career. I think she set out to achieve everything, I mean, what she wanted to when she started playing the sport.

I think she was a great player and she brought a lot of variety to the game. I really respected that. I took a lot of inspiration from her, just how she's able to mix things up.

Yeah, she was always really friendly to be around, as well, in the locker room. She taught me how to kick an Aussie football once, too. Yeah, it was really cool of her.

Q. Seeing Ash's announcement, obviously you're very new at all of this tour stuff, does it make you think any differently about how long a career can be, the flexibility you have in determining what you want to make out of this journey?

EMMA RADUCANU: I think that Ash's retirement just shows how personal everyone's objectives and goals are. I feel like if I set out with a goal when I'm starting to play tennis, I achieve that, like, once I'm happy, it kind of makes sense to finish on a high, if you know what I mean. I feel like it is personal.

For me, I want to be in the game as long as possible. I'm only 19. I've just come on tour, which is pretty young. Now I think the tour is getting younger. There are a lot of great players who are also young.

Yeah, I want to be in the game till I'm in my 30s. We'll see what happens and how long I can last, to be honest.

Q. Are there things that players can learn from the way that Ash took time off, then she came back? She wasn't completely about one thing all the time, was she?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think that definitely probably helped. If you get oversaturated with one thing, it's not healthy with anything you do.

I feel like that just shows, if you take time off, you come back, you're hungry, you're ready. She basically cleaned up when she came back.

I feel like for me, I took 18 months off in 2020. I started in 2021. Because I had that desire to really be out there on the court, I was so hungry, I feel like I had some great results last summer as well.

Yeah, it just shows you don't need to be only tennis, tennis, tennis.

Q. You spent that extra time in education. Gives you a chance to take a broader view of life?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think that education part helped a lot. Especially when you're at that age, very young, to go all into tennis... I know a lot of players who quit school when they're 12, 13. They overtrain and they pick up injuries. When you're that young, it's not healthy to be training that many hours.

I feel by having school it definitely kept my mind occupied as well. Opened up the more intellectual side of tennis, because I feel like I like to use my brain more.

Q. Are you bummed you didn't ever get to play Ash? You haven't played a lot of the players still. Is there anyone you're most hoping to get to play?

EMMA RADUCANU: I actually really wanted to play Ash. I feel like because she plays so differently, I kind of -- I was watching how she plays. I feel like it would be such a good challenge for me because it's so different to what you kind of see out there on the tour.

I really wanted to play her. Yeah, maybe like in the veterans or something (laughter).

Q. Anyone else you want to play?

EMMA RADUCANU: I'll play anyone, to be honest. I don't really think of who's on the other side. I just focus on, like, me, one match at a time.

Q. You were talking about a more balanced life. Besides tennis right now, what are your interests?

EMMA RADUCANU: Right now my interests, I really like motorsport, so Formula One, Moto GP. They kind of give me the thrills and adrenaline rush I always kind of seek.

Yeah, I can't really do many of those things now because it's a bit dangerous for tennis unfortunately. Yeah, when I get time off, which is pretty rare, I just try and spend time with my family and friends, yeah, catch up, always following the races.

Q. How do you set expectations for yourself, goals, in terms of what you'll be satisfied with, what you're hoping to get as you complete your first lap, using a Formula One term?

EMMA RADUCANU: Since the US Open, my perspective has completely changed. Right now all I care about is getting through the season in one piece. I kind of like the challenge. Before I didn't, but now I feel like because I have been losing early every week, I don't really care because I'm, like, you know what, I kind of like the challenge of being knocked down and feeling horrible obviously after a loss, sort of trying to climb back up there, get yourself back up there for the next match.

Yeah, it's some sort of process. Now all I want to do is just complete my first season on the tour in one piece. Doesn't matter if I lose first round every week, just that's the goal.

Q. (No microphone.)

EMMA RADUCANU: No, I'm not very good at taking losses. I actually have a mourning day, which is like the day after a loss I'd have a mourning day. I've kind of cut that out now, to an extent, yeah.