Emma Raducanu is unlucky in 2024 but regular tennis is the way forward, says Laura Robson | Tennis News

Emma Raducanu has been unlucky with injuries in 2024 but she is still “figuring out what works for her” and regular tennis is the way forward, it is said Sky Sports Expert Laura Robson.

Raducanu, who shot to stardom with her victory at the US Open three years ago, has been struggling and announced earlier this month that she had withdrawn from two more tournaments as she continues to recover from a foot injury.

At the time, the 21-year-old was aiming for a return to the WTA 250 Hong Kong Tennis Openlive on Sky Sports from October 28th to November 3rd, but has now withdrawn from this event after it was confirmed that she would not be suitable for the performance.

Raducanu missed the Paris Olympics and then played only one hard-court tournament before the US Open in August, where she was eliminated in the first round by former Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin.

“The break came after Toronto and in hindsight she wishes she should have continued playing and then had a bit more momentum before the US Open,” Robson said Sky Sports.

Raducanu said afterwards the decision was a “mutual decision” between herself and members of her coaching team, but insisted she would learn from the experience.

“I feel down, like I'm sad. This is a tournament I really want to do well in,” Raducanu said.

“I'm just going to go back to the drawing board and train and analyze where I went wrong and try to improve for the rest of the season.”

“Of course the Slams are over this year, but it won’t be long before Australia gets back.”

“I probably would have preferred to play a little bit more before coming to the US Open.

“I know when I have a lot of games, like any player, I feel really good, I feel like everything is automatic.”

“I can learn from it. And, you know, make my schedule a little different.”

“It wasn't just me. It was more like a collective call and that’s exactly what happened and I can’t really change it.”

Robson said: “It's hard to listen to her say that in New York because as a tennis player you constantly feel like you could have done things differently. It's still a learning experience and the fact that she's still figuring out what works for her, figuring out where she wants to play and how many tournaments.

“The style of play has been a bit more aggressive over the last few months, which is great, but I think it’s also a learning curve.”

“If you look at her results, if she played well and consistently, she can beat almost anyone. She’s a great player with such an attacking style of play, but you just have to be able to do that day in and day out.”

Raducanu is ranked 55th in the world after starting the year at 285th – and with no ranking points to defend, the end of the tennis season could have been much more profitable for the British No.2.

“When you think about the months it took for her to get to the ranking she is now, it's really impressive. She did really well in that regard,” said Robson, a former junior Wimbledon champion. “I think everyone, including her, would like to see it more often.

“It's just a matter of finding what works for you and maybe she's just been unlucky the last few weeks because that would have been a run of four or five events in a row, which would have been great, but then you learn a bit when you If you get injured or have problems, you always have to start all over again.

“When you have the opportunity to play, she has now realized that is the way forward. If you can manage to play for weeks in a row then you should try.”

What can you expect from Sky Sports Tennis?

• Erste Bank Open, Vienna – ATP 500 (October 21-27)
• Swiss Indoors, Basel – ATP 500 (October 21-27)
• Guangzhou Open, China – WTA 250 (October 21-27)
• Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis, Tokyo – WTA 500 (October 21-27)
• Hong Kong Tennis Open – WTA 250 (October 28th – November 3rd)
• Jiangxi Open – WTA 250 (October 28 – November 3)
• Merida Open Akron – WTA 250 (October 28th – November 3rd)
• Rolex Paris Masters – ATP 1000 (October 28th – November 3rd)

Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, the NOW streaming service and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 percent more live sport at no additional cost this year. Find out more here.