Emma Raducanu opens up on 'being held back' in tennis development

Emma Raducanu claims she is doing "overtime work" to catch up with Iga Swiatek before bidding to end the reign of the Queen of Clay at the French Open. The Pole was present in Court Philippe-Chatrier on Sunday for an emotional ceremony for King of Clay and 14-time champion Rafa Nadal.

And despite not returning to a final since her fourth win here last year, Swiatek extended her French Open winning streak to 22 matches with her first round victory here. Like Radacanu, the Pole won her first Grand Slam as a teenager when she claimed the 2020 title here aged 19.

But four matches between the two players showed a bigger gap than the 18 months between their birthdays. And Raducanu, now 22, reckons her career trajectory is behind because she did her A levels in 2021.

"I remember I didn't play tennis for six months in 2020 and I was watching this unfold," she recalled.

"I was watching my peers, like some that are around my age, do really well. I felt it was so far away. I felt like I was kind of being held back. But it fueled a lot of fire and hunger inside of me that when I came back after an 18-month hiatus, from competing in 2021, I ended up having one of the best summers - it was a good gap! She's obviously had a lot more experience, a lot more time playing tennis and competing than I have.

"I haven't really had the same exposure or level of training because of school and everything. So I feel like now I'm trying to catch up and do like double time and overtime work. But yeah, it's still a long way to go."

Speaking about their different journeys since their maiden Grand Slam victories, Swiatek said: "Everybody has a different path and different changes."

But the Pole, 23, added: "I think for a teenager it's easier. You're an underdog, you're not observed, you don't have a target on your back. Probably you have many situations where you didn't make it and it can haunt you. So I think winning as a teenager is easier."

No.5 seed Swiatek will play a Grand Slam ranking with her lowest ranking since the 2022 Australian Open after a difficult 12 months.

She served a one-month ban for testing positive to a banned substance last August and the self-confessed "perfectionist" has struggled with her forehand. She also lost her grandfather before the Madrid Open. And her nemesis Jelena Ostapenko awaits her in the fourth round.

But TNT Sports analyst Mats Wilander said: "You don't have to have a big clay court season to play well at the French Open. So I will put her up there with Aryna Sabalenka as being the favourite."

And Raducanu said: "It's going to be a big challenge. I have to commit because there's no real other way. Obviously there is not much pressure on me."

Her part-time coach Mark Petchey was absent for her first round win on Court 8 but his daughter Myah stayed throughout the three-set match.

"Of course I would love to have him there on the court but like certain times it just can't work," Raducanu said.

"I knew her (Myah) a little bit before, but got to know her a lot more in the last couple of months. I actually think having her there really helped - because I was like: 'It's a mini-Mark!' She's gonna hate me for saying that! Having her there definitely was like a little symbolic representation of Mark."

The match will be third on Court-Philippe-Chatrier on Wednesday. Raducanu, who had complained about her lack of access to the big courts, practised for 30 minutes in the main court on Tuesday morning.