Emma Raducanu has opened up about her ultimate goal in tennis and winning Wimbledon top of the list, although she admits her immediate focus is “to keep staying healthy and improving my skills”.
Raducanu has already turned one dream into a reality as she won her maiden Grand Slam at the age of 18 when she enjoyed a fairytale run at the 2021 US Open to become the first qualifier in history to win a major.
But for most British players winning Wimbledon will always sit highly on their to-do list and Raducanu is no different.
In an interview with Marie Claire UK about life lessons, self-care and wellness, the 21-year-old spoke about her ambitions and said: “Long term, I want to win Wimbledon. That’s my number one goal.
“But in the short term, I just want to keep staying healthy and improving my skills. Working on the actual development of them rather than any immediate results – that’s my priority right now.”
Raducanu – whose only title remains the 2021 US Open – has twice reached the fourth round at Wimbledon as the first time she did it during her debut tennis in 2021 while she equalled that feat at this year’s tournament.
One of the reasons why Raducanu is prioritising her health is due to her nightmare 2023 season where she missed the bulk of the campaign as she underwent surgery on both her wrists and one ankle.
Having slipped down the rankings, she is slowly making her way back up as she now sits at No 69 following her run to the quarter-final of the recent Washington Open.
Some might feel her Wimbledon target is too ambitious, but Raducanu knows that self-belief is key to achieving your dreams.
“Self-belief is important for getting through the tough times, because they are inevitable,” she said. “You’re going to face setbacks and injuries, and fears are going to set in, but I think to really achieve great things, you need to pair that with self-belief.
“One quote that has really resonated with me over the years is that you get through 100% of the days that you think you can’t. I have for sure felt tough times – when I was 18, before the US Open, in the pandemic like everyone I’m sure, but we all got through it. And we look back and that moment in time isn’t as significant as it once was.
“So I think having perspective is huge, and getting into a helicopter, zooming out and just looking at this moment in the timeline of your life, really helps put things in perspective. It helps to keep me on the right track.”