INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

May 10, 2022

Emma Raducanu

Press Conference

B. ANDREESCU/E. Raducanu

6-2, 2-1 (ret.)

THE MODERATOR: Emma, disappointing way to finish the match. Talk us through the injury that you sustained today.

EMMA RADUCANU: I mean, yeah, definitely disappointed with how today went. But I guess I wanted to give it a try. I never really knew how bad it was until I kind of went out there. For me, like I'm still learning when it's right to push my body and push through it, and when's not.

Yeah, I guess that's something I'm kind of learning at these tournaments. The difference is I'm probably doing it at bigger some tournaments, not like smaller tournaments on the way up.

Yeah, I mean, it's tough.

Q. You and Leylah Fernandez share the success story last year at US Open. This year both of you had some troubles and injuries, struggling with results. Have you been perhaps stayed in touch with Leylah or recently have you been sharing your experience of getting back best to your form?

EMMA RADUCANU: I mean, whenever we see each other we say hi and stuff. It's just normal chat really. It's not anything too special. Like she's really nice and a bubbly character. Yeah, we don't really see each other too much, to be honest.

Q. This has affected you a couple of matches in a row now. Are you worried it's a long-term issue? Have you been able to diagnose exactly what it is that's bothering you? Is it a stiff back like the last match?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I mean, I guess after Madrid I thought that maybe taking one, two days off, it would just go away because a lot of the other small niggles I've had, they've kind of gone away after taking, like, two days off.

Then I got here and I was training, but it just didn't seem to get better. I was kind of training with some limitations. Like I wasn't moving really, I was just playing where I knew where the ball was coming, just staying in one corner. I think I must have underestimated the unpredictability of competition in a match, you have to react.

Yeah, definitely, like, I felt today in the match it was just pushing too hard. Yeah, I genuinely didn't think I could carry on because I was, like, really struggling to move.

Bianca is a great player. She's not going to let up and just hit the ball to you. Yeah, credit to her for staying on me 100%.

Q. You had seven days since your last match. Do you think you want to give yourself a bigger break, potentially skip the French Open, to focus on grass? Probably a bit early to tell. Would you consider that to make sure you're fully recovered?

EMMA RADUCANU: I've got no idea. I mean, obviously I would not want to miss the French Open. I mean, the whole clay season leads up to it. I think the last few weeks have been really positive. I've learnt a lot about myself and my game has definitely improved on this surface.

But, I mean, for sure I need to make sure my back is fully right, however long that takes. I need to just keep on it. I don't want to play my next match with a feeling of limitation because I think that I learnt my lesson from this week, when to push, when not to push. Probably today wasn't right.

Q. Can you give us an idea when exactly you realized today it was going to be a serious struggle to get through the game?

EMMA RADUCANU: I mean, to be honest, I've been doubting it since yesterday after practice. Obviously, like, I just can't, like, walk away before the match is even started, before I even know how it's going to go. You never know what's going to happen. I mean, like some crazy thing can happen in the first game of the match. Like, you just don't know.

I just felt like, because I was serving a lot in the first, like, two of my service games, they were, like, long games. When I had to keep pushing up, it was just tough. Then when she was playing, like, high to my backhand, that was obviously a struggle.

Yeah, I mean, I kind of thought it would be a tough one for a bit now.

Q. You obviously had a few physical issues first few months on tour. Has that been demoralizing or do you accept it as an occupational hazard of growing into the game really?

EMMA RADUCANU: I mean, it obviously sucks because I just feel like a lot of the matches looking back, I'm either playing with like this or that. I'm like, What's this? (Smiling).

I guess I'm just learning. Every single tournament, I'm learning what my body's capable of, what it's not. I'm learning what works, what doesn't. It's just I'm doing it in front of everyone. You know, it's something that I've accepted. I think it's definitely had its challenges.

Yeah, I'm just kind of going through this process, just trying to develop. I think it will take me a little bit to fully figure out what's working. Yeah, I think the last few weeks have been a positive step in that direction.

Q. It's a bit early to say about the French Open, is it?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah. I mean, I came off court an hour ago (smiling).

Q. When you kind of try to assess the issue, do you find yourself thinking that it's a match-load issue? Is it clay? Is it the back-to-backs? What is exactly exacerbating it?

EMMA RADUCANU: It's weird, because when I'm playing in practice, I can practice for a good few hours a day. I'm putting in a lot of hours on the practice court. But it's like I'm not sure whether the quality or the ball I'm receiving in practice, I mean, it's not the same when I'm playing these matches because I definitely feel like the matches are taking a lot more out of me than they probably should.

I had a match in Stuttgart, my first round, it was, like, 1-2, something, Love-1. I don't know. Next day I felt like I was in bits (laughter). It became like a running joke.

Yeah, it's probably the match load, just getting used to it. Also back to back, just playing week in, week out. Looking back, since Fed Cup I've been home, like, for one day. It's just been four weeks of constant getting ready for the next match, recovering. I think that everything is just taking a toll. It's probably just my body crying out, needs a little break.

Q. I don't know how much of the closing stages of Madrid you watched. Carlos Alcaraz is doing amazingly well. Similar age to you. How encouraging is it to see other teens around you excelling?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think what Carlos is doing is pretty incredible. He's playing so well. I feel like this year especially he's made a lot of developments physically. I think that's definitely helping him.

Like, he was always an incredible tennis player, but just the ability to repeat and keep doing it, I think it's really good to see that he can be that consistent at such a young age.

Yeah, he's probably put a few more years of work and training into tennis than I have. But, yeah, hopefully after a few more years or how long it takes myself, I could do similar things.

Q. Not looking all the way ahead to the French Open, but for the next week, is the goal to kind of rest and go into Roland Garros as fresh as possible? Do you want to potentially play next week?

EMMA RADUCANU: Well, I mean, of course I want to play every opportunity I have, and probably even when I shouldn't.

But, you know, I just really need to be sensible. Sometimes I feel like I need a voice to, you know, just hold my hand, Do this, do that.

Yeah, I hope that I can just get my back right and my body fully fit. I think that next week might be a tight turnaround, even though I wanted to play next week and get more matches on clay.

Yeah, my back takes priority, so we'll see what happens I hope.