Emma Raducanu is feeling bullish about her prospects for the 2025 tennis season after a resurgent finish to her 2024 campaign saw the young British star help lead her country to the semifinals of the Billie Jean King Cup.
The 2021 US Open champion has battled injury setbacks and coaching changes since her historic Grand Slam breakthrough, but showed glimpses of returning to her best form in Britain’s victories over Germany and Canada last week to reach the final four of the prestigious international team event.
“My assessment is, I think sometimes I need reminding,” Raducanu told the WTA, reflecting on her roller-coaster 2024 season. “I’m top 60 in the world and I have played less than 15 events, which is pretty unheard of, in a way.”
The 21-year-old is currently ranked No. 58 in the world, down from her career-high of No. 10 achieved in June 2022. She was forced to withdraw from several tournaments during the WTA’s autumn swing through Asia due to a foot injury sustained in her Korea Open quarterfinal loss to Daria Kasatkina in September.
A Dangerous Floater
But Raducanu believes her best tennis is still ahead of her, and she’s eager to remind her peers of the precocious talent that took the tennis world by storm in 2021.
“I have to pat myself on the back for that. I know I’m a dangerous player. I know no-one wants to pull my name in the draw. I take pride in that, and I’m looking forward to hopefully staying on court longer next year.”
After helping Britain defeat Slovakia in this week’s Billie Jean King Cup semifinal, Raducanu plans to hit the practice courts hard in preparation for January’s Australian Open rather than take an extended off-season break.
“I think traditionally you’d probably have a bit of a break and take a holiday or something,” she said. “But I feel like I have had four, five weeks off tennis, and I don’t really need any more time off. If anything, I’m excited and just itchy to get on the practice court.”
Forged By Fire
Raducanu believes the fierce competition she’s faced recently representing her country has her battle-tested and ready for the challenges that await in 2025.
“I’m playing some really tough opponents and not to be underestimated by their rankings on these surfaces, because both are very dangerous,” Raducanu noted of her recent wins over Germany’s Jule Niemeier and Canada’s Rebecca Marino. “I feel like I’m in a pretty good spot with my tennis right now.”
After shocking the world with her unheralded run from qualifying to the championship at the 2021 US Open, Raducanu struggled to consistently match those meteoric heights in 2023 and much of 2024. But her gritty performances under pressure at the Billie Jean King Cup have the British No. 1 brimming with confidence entering the new season.
Measuring Progress
While Grand Slam glory is the ultimate goal, Raducanu is proud of her progress and perspective at this stage of her young career.
“Sometimes I need reminding of how well I’m actually doing given my experience and age. I’ve achieved a lot of special things at a young age and I’m trying to focus on continuing to develop my game.”
Raducanu hopes her strong finish to 2024 is a sign of bigger things to come as she continues to gain experience and build confidence on the WTA Tour. The teenage sensation-turned-grizzled veteran may only be 21, but she feels like her tennis journey has prepared her to achieve even greater heights.
“I’ve faced a lot of adversity and a lot of setbacks already in my short career, and I’m proud of how I’ve responded each time,” Raducanu said. “I’m excited to see how much I can keep improving and growing in 2025 and beyond.”
