Despite a heavy loss to Coco Gauff at the Italian Open, Emma Raducanu is choosing to focus on the positives as she builds towards Roland Garros.
The 22-year-old British star fell in straight sets during Monday’s fourth-round match in Rome. Gauff needed just 80 minutes to secure a dominant win, dropping only three games.
Focused on Progress, Not Setbacks
Speaking after the match, Raducanu expressed determination to keep moving forward.
“I’d love to just keep improving and keep playing,” she told Sky Sports. “I don’t want to go and hide in a hole somewhere. I want to get back out there, so that’s good.”
Having played 12 consecutive days of tennis, Raducanu said she’s planning a short rest and is considering entering the Internationaux de Strasbourg next week as a final warm-up before the French Open.
“We’ll see how it goes in the next week before the French, if I get into Strasbourg,” she added.
Enjoyment Over Pressure
Raducanu highlighted the importance of playing with enjoyment, saying it helps manage the emotional ups and downs of competition.
“It makes it more enjoyable, it makes it more sustainable. It doesn’t make the losses feel as bad,” she explained.
“I didn’t win on the match court today, but I’m going to find a way to win the day still. I’m enjoying myself and taking it in wherever I go.”
Tim Henman: Scoreline Doesn’t Tell the Full Story
Former British No.1 Tim Henman offered a more nuanced view of the match, saying the contest was closer than the score suggested.
“There were a couple of really long games. Raducanu didn’t have the chance to dictate because Gauff was so aggressive,” he noted.
Still, Henman praised Raducanu’s clay-court form and sees promising signs ahead of Roland Garros.
“Her game is moving in the right direction. She’s up to 42 in the live rankings.
A number in the back of my mind is 32—can she be seeded for Wimbledon and get that protection in the early rounds on grass?”
