ROLAND GARROS

May 25, 2022

Emma Raducanu

Press Conference

A. SASNOVICH/E. Raducanu

3-6, 6-1, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Tough luck today. Very tricky opponent. Just talk us through those three sets.

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I thought that it was a pretty long match, pretty physical, as well.

I think my opponent, she played pretty well throughout, and didn't make any errors. But, yeah, I think that it was a long match for me, but, I mean, the whole clay season has been pretty positive overall, I would say.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. (Question off microphone.)

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, he was good. Me and Raymond, we just started like this week, really. Yeah, he's been a great addition, and we have been working really good on the practice court, doing some really good drills and stuff. I think that having that day in, day out, that high level of hitting is definitely going to help.

Q. Unlucky today. What do you think were the kind of biggest positives for you to take not only from this match but from the clay season as a whole?

EMMA RADUCANU: I think that I definitely got stronger as the clay season went on. It just takes a lot more to win the point on this surface, and, you know, you hit a ball flat, doesn't really do that much.

I definitely learnt like when to use the shape and stuff. Yeah, like I still got quite a long way to go on this surface, but overall, I would say I definitely had a good first experience on the clay.

I think that I can definitely improve a lot more than what I am at right now.

Q. I guess part of getting used to life on tour is getting used to losing, because all but one player loses every week. Has the way you deal with losing changed, evolved, improved over the last few months? Has that been a process?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I would say it definitely has. I think before I would let the losses kind of affect me more so than I am right now. Now I just look at everything as a lesson, and I know exactly where I went wrong, where I can improve, where other people are better than me.

I definitely just look at all of these matches as a good tool to kind of teach me where to improve my own game.

Q. You're getting towards the part of the calendar where you are going to be playing at home for an extended period for the first time in a much different situation than you were last year. Have you given thought to what that might feel like and what do you anticipate the next six weeks are going to be like?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I mean, it's going to be really nice to go home and play, you know, on home turf, on the home grass. It is going to be a little bit strange in the beginning, because I have played on clay court for so long now, I feel like it's been weeks. Like, going onto a grass court I'm probably going to be a bit shocked at first (smiling).

I'm really looking forward to playing in front of the fans at home, and just all the support. Last year I experienced a little taste of it, but I feel like this year might be a bit more. Yeah, I'm just really looking forward to the atmosphere that's going to be around.

I'm not really sure what it is going to be yet, but, yeah, I'm looking forward to the grass.

Q. You mentioned it was a physical match. Were there echoes of when you were talking a couple of tournaments ago about how second set was difficult for you because you weren't sustaining intensity? Were there echoes of that again today and the way things changed at the end of the first set, do you think?

EMMA RADUCANU: I think that first set I just -- I'd say the whole match it was pretty similar, except for the big points. She would probably play them better in the second and third set. I mean, it was like 1-1, but the games were very long, but we had some quite long deuce games where I had some chances and so did she. It was back and forth like that.

I felt like in the second set there were certain things that, you know, on the bigger points that played a part. But, yeah, I would say like physically I just got a little bit tired, just like normal, but nothing like out of the regular, you know, you will feel your legs playing a three-set match on clay.

It is definitely positive that I'm coming out of this match feeling pretty good physically.

Q. Could you just tell us what it feels like to be learning on the job every day on such a big stage? Is it a bit like learning how to swim straight into the deep end without any water wings on?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I mean, to be honest, I am learning every single day, every single match, every practice.

Yeah, I would say that I'm at this level, but there are definitely aspects of my game that need to improve and kind of catch up to where my current, you know, ranking or whatever is.

You know, I'm quite happy with the progress that I'm making. I do feel like I'm playing some pretty good tennis and on the practice court I'm definitely working. Certain things I'm working on the practice court that are paying off, they don't show immediately. There is a little time lag between when they will actually produce results, you know, on a live situation.

Yeah, I'm definitely getting there.

Q. You're scheduled to play Birmingham. Do you think you will play Nottingham the first week of June? Now you're going home. Will you take time off or hit the grass practice straightaway?

EMMA RADUCANU: I don't know which tournament I will play yet. For sure I will play Birmingham. But then, after that or before that, I'm not really sure yet. It's quite soon.

Maybe I will have a day, two days off here, or home and then, yeah, start training again and start looking forward to the grass and, you know, just keep improving.

Q. Actually, that was kind of similar to what I was going to ask. The tennis season comes in quite distinct phases. We have just kind of come, for you, to the end of a distinct phase. Are you the kind of player who kind of sets a target for the coming phase? Are you thinking that way for the grass?

EMMA RADUCANU: Well, I think that for the clay season, I had no expectations. I put myself in like four tournaments in a row, probably thinking I was going to lose first round in every single one, but I actually played a few matches in each. I think the best way to go about it for me is to just not think about any results.

For the grass court season I'm honestly just thinking about how it's best to use my game to kind of suit the grass courts and trying to adapt and change as quickly as possible from the clay to the grass. Because, you know, on grass you can't stand as far back as you do on clay, and there are certain things you need to change.

Like result-wise, I haven't really put any focus or emphasis on that.

Q. How do you feel your new coaching setup has gone over the last month? Do you envisage any changes, additions before Wimbledon?

EMMA RADUCANU: To be honest, I was pretty happy with how things have been going the last month. I think I'm definitely playing some good tennis. It might not show like straightaway, but there are definitely elements, you know, whether that's on the practice court or certain moments on the match court I feel like I am and have made improvements throughout the whole clay season.

Now looking forward, I'm pretty satisfied with what I've got right now.

Q. After matches like this or after losses, you say you are getting better at dealing with them. Are you someone who sort of digs deep into the stats or do you watch the video or do you leave that to your coaches? What's your process for looking ahead in a match?

EMMA RADUCANU: Well, I am taking it better, for sure. Like right now I know exactly what I did wrong, and kind of the exact moments I feel like I can pretty much relive every point of what happened. Yeah, I'm not going to go into it right now, probably later on or tomorrow, but yeah, have a debrief with the guys here and, yeah, see what went wrong, see how I can improve it.

Yeah, but to be honest, I kind of know exactly what I need to do better.

Q. You talked about deciding when to put more top on the ball or not. Curious what is the biggest difficulty between finding that balance taking the ball earlier and attacking and moving back and playing more conservatively on this surface compared with faster surfaces?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I guess here on clay it's even more emphasized, because like when the ball bounces short, for example, but high, like it's actually quite hard to take early because it jumps above your head and then you're stranded in the middle of the court. So there are definitely decisions like that to make. But also on clay not forgetting to stay aggressive. Sometimes you can get sucked into playing slow and high and long rallies.

But at the end of the day, you've got to still step in when the chance is on.

Q. Guadalajara, Mexico, will organize a tournament in October, and you have played there. Would you like to come back this year?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I mean, I played there in Guadalajara this year. I had a really fun time, to be honest, leading up to the tournament. I was training good. Food was great there. The people were really friendly and really good atmosphere. No idea what the rest of my season looks like, but, I mean, I'd love to go back.

Q. This kind of signifies the end of your first kind of full tour, if you like, if we start from Nottingham last year. I'm just wondering how you're viewing the prospect of actually kind of going second time round now to places. Is that something you kind of welcome? If there is anything in particular the last 12 months that stands out sort of learning about the whole business of going round a full cycle of the tour?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, we were saying like with my team this morning, it's pretty much a year anniversary since my comeback to kind of competitive tennis. I was playing a Brit tour in Connaught.

I think I have come a long way since then. I think I do really welcome going around the second time. I think this year was always going to be challenging for me to adjust, find my feet. There's always something new. Like I'm always asking where everything is. I have no idea where everything is.

It's going to be a lot more familiar this time around. I feel like in the last 12 months I have definitely grown a lot. On and off the court I feel like I have probably improved like how much I fight. I think that's one of my biggest strengths and even more so on the tour this year, and it's definitely opened my eyes to just how good everyone is and how much depth there is in the game.

But yeah, I think that it has been a pretty positive year just because I have learnt so much, and I think that the amount of learning that I have kind of done outweighs any sort of result, to be honest.

Q. I guess you have been asked a couple of times before, so I apologize for this. Can you talk about how much has changed for you since your sensational run at the US Open off the court, but also maybe is there a different kind of mental approach on the court?

EMMA RADUCANU: I mean, I think that if you ask me that, I think some parts of my tennis game have actually improved compared to last year. It's different when you are someone who may have a target on their back. Everyone raises their game, wants to play well, wants to beat you, take you out. That's something I have definitely kind of learnt on the tour this year and just accepted that.

I feel like I don't approach things like crazily differently off the court. I'm exactly the exact same person as I was 12 months ago.

Yeah, things around me have kind of changed, but I'm the same person. Just I feel like I've got a lot more awareness and more experience now.