AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 18, 2025

Emma Raducanu

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/E. Raducanu

6-1, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Emma, just give us your immediate thoughts on the match and how your opponent played today.

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think it was a match going into it I knew I had to play really well when you're facing a top player.

I think today, credit to Iga, she played good tennis, but I think it was a little bit of her playing well and me not playing so well. That combination is probably not good and resulted in today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. She obviously plays quite differently to a lot of the girls on tour. Can you describe what it's like facing especially the heavy spin of her ball?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think in a day like today where the weather is pretty lively as well, it just jumps up pretty high. It's good. Sometimes you'll feel like you hit a good shot, and she'll hit it higher, you feel like you have to kind of start again. That's difficult.

But yeah, obviously she's a great player, moves really well, defends good. I just felt like certain aspects of my own game weren't necessarily firing.

Q. Iga has just been in here. She said she played perfectly today. From your point of view, how does it feel when a top-class player is playing at the top of her game?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think she played very well, but I also think that I didn't play very well, so... I mean, it's just not a great combination.

Of course, if a top player is playing perfect, it's going to be a difficult match already. And yeah, I just want to work on certain things and make them better and more consistent.

Q. What is tougher to deal with when you have a match like that when you're on the wrong side of it, or you get close but don't get over the line? Which is easier to deal with after?

EMMA RADUCANU: I mean, pretty tough question.

I mean, today the scoreline was obviously quite harsh. I feel like I look back and know exactly what I need to do, and I take it as feedback.

I'm very clear on kind of what happened out there. The scoreline reflects one thing. If I'm not necessarily able to hold my service games or kind of dictate, I feel like it seeps into the rest of my game. On my second serves, how the point is structured from then on, and also in the return games, you feel a lot more pressure.

I think that was probably a big aspect of today. Probably the first two matches, as well.

Q. How were you feeling physically out there today? You obviously said you weren't sure if it was a niggle in your back or you were going to be okay to play today.

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I mean, three weeks ago when I was in Auckland, at the end of last year, I was doing pool rehab. I think to be on a tennis court playing matches and competing is something I have to be grateful for. I started hitting when I came here 18 days ago.

Yeah, I have to take a positive that I was able to beat two top opponents in the first two rounds.

But I think today, no excuses of the back or physically. Yeah, I didn't play well. She played very well. I think, given the preparation we had, we have to be grateful to be in this position.

Of course, like, I have a lot of things to take as feedback and work on.

Q. After your week here, what would you say is the biggest positive thing you'll take away? And what is the thing that you'll be looking most to work on?

EMMA RADUCANU: I think the biggest positive I would say is how I've approached every single day. I think before the tournament, in tricky situations with Auckland and the back, how I handled myself going into the tournament not necessarily the most prepared. Then I'd say even how I kind of handled the match today, it's quite different and I have to be proud of myself and give myself a pat on the back.

I think one of my goals for this year is to just, yeah, be consistent, ride with it. I think today is going to be a really good test in a sense, but also I'm going to look back and be like I learnt a lot from it and got a lot of feedback of what I need to do better.

I think the thing I want to improve is serving. The first two matches I got away with it against two top players because I was able to defend and move, use the rest of my game. But I think that needs to improve.

Q. You lost to Iga nine months ago. Where do you think your game is at now compared to then and how you found her level compared to then?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I would say the difference between playing her today and playing her in Stuttgart, the last two times where I was pretty close, I mean, I was serving really well in Stuttgart both years. I think I landed a lot of first serves. It just helps set the rest of your points up on your games, get a few free points. Then you feel maybe more confident to swing on the return games, too.

I think like the other aspects, like the groundstroke aspects of my game are actually probably better now. I just don't think I was able to be in that situation too often today where we were, like, from the back on level terms.

I'd say I'm definitely improving. It's just one big factor was probably not as good.

Q. Was she different then compared to now?

EMMA RADUCANU: I think, honestly, she's pretty similar. I think maybe made a few more errors in Stuttgart. I don't think she really missed much today. But I think it's a combination of the pressure that I can apply to her and also the way I played today.

Q. Given your difficult off-season, how well do you feel this performance sets you up for the rest of the year? It's a long season. Also, where do you see yourself playing in the next few months?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think it's the first tournament of the year for me, yeah, which is a pretty solid start I would say. I played two really good opponents in the first two rounds and came through them. It's a long season ahead, of course. It's a pretty busy schedule.

I think I am playing in, signed up to play in Singapore. It depends a lot on ranking, as well, for me. I'm kind of like borderline into getting into certain tournaments. That we'll have to depend on. Maybe like the Middle East and America.

Q. When you have a loss like this, what do you do to kind of get over it? Do you want to go and do something completely different, or do you want to get straight back to work?

EMMA RADUCANU: I think, I don't know, my team will probably tell me to, like, take it easy. I think for me, yeah, I feel like I just got a pretty good things to work on and feedback. I'll probably just want to get into that as soon as possible.

I feel like I'm speaking from a pretty rational place. I'm not necessarily too emotional either way. Me, I think I'll just get back to it pretty quickly.