Emma Raducanu reveals bold schedule plan that confirms a huge shift in mindset
Emma Raducanu has made a few big statements in her final media briefing of 2024 and it suggests she has learned lessons from her mistakes of the last few months.
After hinting she was close to hiring fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura while playing for Great Britain at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals last month, the 22-year-old confirmed she had added him to her team.
With a track record of success with Maria Sharapova and Naomi Osaka, Nakamura will travel with Raducanu throughout the season as she looks to banish the injury issues that have dented her ambitions since she won the 2021 US Open.
“I think he is going to help me just really explore how far I can go, athletically,” said Raducanu, who had previously relied on Lawn Tennis Association staff for her fitness training.
“I think it’s a big strength of mine that I have nowhere near fulfilled. I think I can become one of the best athletes out there in tennis and I’m just looking forward to seeing how much I can do and I think he’s really going to help with that.
“I am really looking forward to it. It’s nice because as a person, I think we’re quite similar in the sense that we’re very focused with our work.
“When we work, we’re not talking or chitchatting about other things. It’s very much like this is our time to focus.
“When we’re off the court or at the gym, then we talk about whatever.
“It’s nice to have someone who’s on the same sort of wavelength as you. He is going to help me just really explore how far I can go, like athletically. It’s a big strength of mine that I have nowhere near fulfilled.
I think I can become one of the best athletes out there in tennis and I’m just looking forward to seeing how much I can do.
“My natural athleticism is something that I have to use. I have to hone it, I have to polish it, it’s still pretty raw and I don’t think anywhere near fully developed so he’s going to help me explore that.”
Raducanu’s move to hire Nakamura was not the only news she announced this week as it has also confirmed that she will be looking to increase her tournament schedule heading into the first Grand Slam of the New Year.
She was widely criticised for her lack of tournament player prior to the US Open in August, as she opted out of playing in qualifying in Toronto and ended competing in just on event ahead of the final major of the year.
Almost inevitably, she was rusty in her opening match in New York and lost her opening match against Sofia Kenin, with Raducanu admitting she had made mistakes with her scheduling prior to the US Open.
“I would have preferred to probably play a little bit more before coming into the US Open,” she said.
“I know when I have a lot of matches, just like every player, you feel really good, you feel like everything’s automatic.
“I can learn from it. And, you know, manage my schedule slightly differently.”
