Laura Robson believes Emma Raducanu will definitely want to compete at the French Open this year, as playing on clay is one of the best ways to improve one’s game.
Last year, the Brit was carefully selecting her tournaments, which included missing both the Rome Open and Roland Garros.
Some suggested that Raducanu skipped those events because she didn’t receive wildcards for either, but the 22-year-old denied those claims.
In recent months, Raducanu has repeatedly stated her desire to play more this year. If she’s serious about that, Robson thinks her plans for the clay season should include a full schedule.
While grass remains her favorite surface and likely the one she’s most focused on, Robson believes Raducanu will also give her best effort at Roland Garros.
“I think she’d like to do both (the French Open and Wimbledon). Clay is great for developing all areas of your game—especially tactically and for learning how to turn matches around in slower conditions,” Robson told Metro.
“Ideally, you want the best of both worlds: playing well on clay and then grass. We’ll see what she decides, but I’m sure she wants to play a full schedule.”
Raducanu’s French Open History
So far, the 22-year-old has only played at the French Open once.
In 2022, during her first and only appearance, Raducanu won her opening match against Linda Noskova but lost to Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the second round.
She had planned to return in 2023, but after opting for three surgeries in May, her participation was ruled out.
As mentioned earlier, Raducanu chose to skip the Parisian Slam last year, a decision that led to criticism and backlash.
