They say the very best tennis players have the ability to give themselves that extra little bit of time, not to be hurried into any particular course of action. And while an invitation to play mixed doubles with Carlos Alcaraz might have prompted an immediate and ecstatic “yes” from most people, Emma Raducanu was happy to make the Spaniard sweat a little before agreeing to join him in a pairing at this year’s US Open.
“Got to keep them on their toes, huh?” Raducanu said, as she arrived in Eastbourne to continue her preparations for Wimbledon, having been troubled by a back injury in her quarter-final defeat by Zheng Qinwen at Queen’s.
“Of course, I had to ask my team if they wanted me to play. For me, when he asked me, I was going to say yes. [But] I had to go through the formality of asking my coach, so I didn’t just make the decision.”
Raducanu will play Ann Li in the first round of the Lexus Eastbourne Open on Tuesday
MARK GREENWOOD/IPS/SHUTTERSTOCK
Raducanu, who is seeded No7 in Eastbourne, where she beat Sloane Stephens and Jessica Pegula last year, will face another American, Ann Li, in the first round of the Lexus Eastbourne Open on Tuesday.
Her friendship with her fellow 22-year-old Alcaraz, she revealed, goes back to her first season on tour, when she reached the fourth round of Wimbledon and won the US Open in 2021.
“I remember he was always playing the day before me [at the US Open], and I was playing the second day of the round, and I would see him win and then have motivation to win and get myself into that position too,” she said of the five-times grand-slam singles champion.
“He beat Steph [Stefanos Tsitsipas] in the third round. It was his breakout win on a big stage and it was really cool to kind of go through that tournament together. We have a good relationship still. He’s obviously overtaken me a lot, but it’s nice that we have that from a while ago.”
Raducanu watched Alcaraz’s Queen’s semi-final against Roberto Bautista Agut from the club’s balcony, and said that his style of play and approach to the game resonated with her.
Raducanu, top right, watched Alcaraz in action at Queen’s last week
JAVIER GARCIA/SHUTTERSTOCK
“I saw some really cool drop volleys and I was like, ‘Yes, let’s save some of that,’ ” she said. “But he’s got plenty of magic to bring to New York. I think we’re similar in that we both play our best when we’re enjoying it, when you see us smile on the court and have fun and lean into those positive emotions.
“Whenever I have tried to channel any negativity or that kind of energy, I don’t do so well. And I feel like that’s why he’s able to do such crazy shots and turn points around, because it’s coming from a place of curiosity. It’s amazing to have that on the men’s side and take inspiration when I can.”
Raducanu, who pulled out of last week’s Berlin Open, said her back was “OK” but that she was “still managing it as best I can” and has “good and bad days with it”. “I’m doing everything,” she added. “Needles, soft-tissue, some muscle-stimulation stuff, taping, everything. It’s just ongoing, but it’s OK.”
Raducanu said the aim for the week is “to put myself in the best possible position, level-wise” for Wimbledon, and to gain some potentially fortifying experience in the blustery conditions on the south coast.
“Playing clean, ball-strike tennis isn’t necessarily going to always work here and [it’s about] trying to find a way to make it difficult [and play with] variety,” she said. “It’s a challenge, but it is good practice, because sometimes in Indian Wells it can be very windy, and that’s a Masters, so you don’t want that to be your first time playing in those conditions.”
There was success for the other British singles entrants at Eastbourne on Monday, as Dan Evans overcame a wobbly first set to upset Miomir Kecmanovic, the Serbian world No49, in a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory.
Evans will take on Paul, the second seed, in the round of 16 in Eastbourne
JOHN WALTON/PA
Evans, who has been given a main-draw wild card for Wimbledon, will face the No2 seed, Tommy Paul, in the next round. “In whatever time I have left, it is a work in progress,” Evans said of his recent performances. “Sometimes it takes time. I have been battling away to get [to my best] levels on court, but this is the most confident I have been on grass for a long time.”
Francesca Jones, the British women’s No5, also advanced, seeing off Belgium’s Greet Minnen 6-4, 7-5.
Meanwhile, the 18-year-old Brazilian rising star João Fonseca, the youngest player in the top 100, claimed his first Tour-level win on grass, beating Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6-7, 6-0, 6-3.
Ann Li v Emma Raducanu
Lexus Eastbourne Open, round of 32
Tuesday, from 12pm
TV BBC iPlayer