Emma Raducanu asks for patience as she prepares for Transylvania Open


26-10-2021 03:20 PM

Ammon News - US Open champion Emma Raducanu says "everyone should be patient" as she attempts this week to earn a first win since her Grand Slam success.

The 18-year-old Briton stunned the sport by lifting the title in New York last month, despite never having won a WTA match in her fledgling career.

In her only tournament since, she lost in the Indian Wells first round and on Tuesday plays in the Transylvania Open.

"I am going to find my tennis, I just need a little bit of time," she said.

Raducanu, seeded third in the event, plays Slovenia's world number 124 Polona Hercog at about 17:00 BST on Tuesday.

Still without a coach after parting ways with Andrew Richardson, who helped her triumph in New York, she is aiming for a first victory in a WTA event.

Raducanu has lost in the opening round at previous tournaments in Nottingham, San Diego and Indian Wells.

"I don't think there is any pressure on me," said the world number 23. "I feel like everyone should just be a little patient with me.

"I feel like I am the same person. I still go out there, approaching the same as before.

"I am really enjoying my tennis right now. I feel it will be in a great place. In the long term, I know it will be up and down, the past few weeks I have learned a lot about myself."

Raducanu hopes to appoint a new coach before the 2022 season and has been training with Johanna Konta's former coach Esteban Carril this month.

The Spaniard, who helped Konta climb into the world's top 20, is not with Raducanu in Cluj-Napoca this week.

Instead she says she is learning to coach herself in Romania, which is where her father Ian was born.

Raducanu's grandmother lives in Bucharest and the teenager got a warm welcome in Cluj-Napoca, where she spoke in Romanian to the crowd after a practice session at the weekend.

"I am really excited for the next chapter. This end of the season and the next year I can play on the tour, like a full year, and that is the most exciting thing," she added.

"Patience is key. Because, as I said, there are a lot of lows, where you learn about your game. You adjust to each level gradually.

"I kind of went from zero to the top of the game. So, it's obviously going to take some time to adjust and adapt but hopefully with some good work I will be able to do that."

*BBC




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