'I think it’s quite interesting ': Emma Raducanu identifies misconception about British players preference of playing on grass courts

Britain’s young tennis star Emma Raducanu has highlighted a misconception about players from her country. The 22-year-old, who was once regarded as the next big thing after lifting the US Open at the age of just 18 back in 2021, suffered a second-round exit from the ongoing French Open.

She lost to defending champion Poland’s Emma Raducanu in straight sets with a score of 6-1, 6-2. Talking after the match, Raducanu was asked whether she prefers playing on grass courts over other courts. In response, the former world number 10 was quick to highlight a misconception about British players’ preference for playing on grass courts.

“Yeah, I think it’s quite interesting the stereotype in terms of like Brits don’t really train on grass like all year round, but we train on grass as much as anyone else does for the season,” said Raducanu. “But, I do feel comfortable obviously being at home and having that environment around me…Last year I had a great season and I’m looking forward to being in the same environment, being at home, having the home support and yeah I think all of us really thrive in that environment and it’s just a really healthy and kind of happy time.”

The result was a disappointing one for Raducanu as it was the fifth consecutive occasion she suffered a defeat to Swiatek in professional tennis. Talking about it after the match, the 2021 US Open champion stated that Wednesday’s result shows how much distance she has to cover if she wants to be counted amongst the best players in the world.

“I think Iga played really well today,” she said. “Every time we’ve played, she plays really well. It kind of puts really a lot of pressure on from the beginning. It makes me feel like I have to maybe to do something extra. I just don’t know what to do in the moment. I think it does shift the dynamics of the match a bit. Then it’s very difficult to kind of stay with her as she grows in confidence. It just shows I guess the distance that I have to improve.”