Emma Raducanu believes that the recent success enjoyed by Jack Draper can only help her as the two old friends tackle Wimbledon, and all the pressure that comes with it, as Britain’s No 1 players.
Draper has taken over Andy Murray’s mantle on the men’s side of the game, having reached No 4 in the world rankings after a remarkable six months. Although Draper has never passed the second round at Wimbledon, he is capable of making his first deep run at the All England Club when the championships begin on Monday.
The 23-year-old’s burgeoning profile – he shot a Burberry campaign with the model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in between winning the Indian Wells title and reaching the French Open quarter-finals this month – has diverted some of the focus on Raducanu since her breakout summer of 2021, when a run to the fourth round at Wimbledon while ranked 338 in the world was followed by victory in the US Open.
“It is amazing,” Raducanu said of Draper’s rise. “I’ve known him for so long, so many years, and when we were juniors, we were both pretty promising, and now to kind of be British No 1 on both men and women’s side and the real thing is, it’s pretty cool. So this Wimbledon, I’m sure, for him, will feel different, but he’s in a great place, and obviously with his seeding you know, hopefully it can help him.”
Seeded fourth, Draper is in the other half of the draw from Jannik Sinner and can only face the reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals – but could play Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals.
Raducanu, meanwhile, is now ranked 38 as she attempts to establish herself at the top of the game chasing players such as the world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, who knocked her out in the second round at Roland Garros and to manage the back problem she has had since just before the French Open.
This year will mark the first Wimbledon without line judges, with the tournament adopting electronic line-calling. A total of 23 British players will compete in the men’s and women’s singles draw, including Katie Boulter, Sonay Kartal, Jacob Fearnley and Cameron Norrie – the most British main-draw entrants since 1984. Raducanu believes their friendly competition will push each other to greater heights.
“You see them win their match so you want to win your match, and it’s that kind of healthy competition, because you don’t want to be the one left behind, you know? And I think that’s a good thing, and it’s not coming from any bad place,” said Raducanu.
Raducanu has spent much of the past four years trying to adjust to her status as a major champion and all the scrutiny that comes with it. Her difficulties have included several encounters with a stalker during her tournaments in Asia last year, with a tearful Raducanu hiding behind the umpire’s chair after spotting the man during her match at the Dubai Open in February. The man, who has never been named publicly, signed a document agreeing to stay away from Raducanu. The All England Club subsequently removed the man from Wimbledon’s ticket waiting list.
In general, however, Raducanu appears to be in a better place. She has found herself gravitating towards people she knew before her breakthrough results, including her current coach, Mark Petchey. In the past, Raducanu did not trust the people around her enough to be completely open and vulnerable.
“It just felt like I couldn’t speak out really, because I didn’t want what I said to kind of be shared and spoken about and gossiped about, because you know how the Chinese whispers go. It’s just exaggerated and things are twisted. So I just prefer to keep everything in and that is not necessarily the best thing because when you’re on the court, you’re kind of playing, holding a lot in rather than being expressive, and that’s when I’m at my best,” said Raducanu.
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Having been academically inclined in her youth, Raducanu recently found herself wanting to return to her studies. She has taken up a one-year art history course, a stark contrast to maths and economics, her chosen A-level subjects. In recent months, she has come to understand that she is a creative person and those qualities are key to her success on the court.
“It is something I’ve discovered recently,” she said. “I think I was growing up very kind of boxed into a way of thinking that, like maths and logic and like ABC, and then as I kind of went through it over the last few years and figured out what I actually enjoy. I think when I play my best, I’m very free. I’m enjoying it, I don’t have to be so serious and ‘on’ all the time, because sometimes on the court, if you’re laughing, it can be seen as unserious. But actually for me, it’s a better way, and I’m probably going to play better than if I’m just putting so much pressure on myself to be ‘on’ and perfect.”
This year, Raducanu has made some positive progress, reestablishing herself inside the top 40 and putting herself in position to rise even further. Her susceptibility to injury, however, has continued to be a significant problem. After losing in the second round of Eastbourne on Wednesday, she also noted that she has been dealing with some undisclosed personal issues. Looking at the bigger picture, the goal is to simply ensure that she enjoys her time on and off the court.
“Sometimes I want to go into the future and think: ‘Oh my God, am I going to regret not enjoying this moment?’” said Raducanu. “I’m 22 now, so I’m kind of living for that person to not have any regrets to look back on.”
