CITI OPEN

August 4, 2022

Emma Raducanu

Press Conference

E. RADUCANU/C. Osorio

7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: A very hard-fought victory against a very talented and committed opponent. How did you get it done today?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think for me it was a pretty monumental effort to really get through that. I think there were many moments in both sets where, you know, you want to go for the easy option of trying to finish the point early, but, yeah, I'm just really pleased and proud of how I dug in when it really, you know, it mattered.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Things haven't always gone great for you physically over the last couple of months. What kind of assurance does this give you being able to be out there for almost three hours in those conditions and still play really well?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think first we were pretty lucky to get it done before it started chucking it down. You always have that in your mind on the court, as well. You're thinking of the rain, that's going to come, because you see the clouds and it's important not to let that affect you. You might want to rush things a bit.

But I am really pleased of course to get through that match. It was three hours on the court, and I actually warmed up for like an hour this morning. So I have had a lot of court time.

But, yeah, it just gives you a lot of confidence coming through a match like that. Physically, I'm pretty pleased with how I held up in that match, and, yeah, looking forward to going again.

Q. Camila is the kind of player who can really draw you into quite long rallies, which isn't ideal in these conditions. What was your mindset going into the match? Was there an emphasis on trying to keep points short when you could?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think it was important to find a balance between keeping the points relatively short, if possible, but also not, you know, getting lured into the trap of wanting to finish it and rush the points.

But, you know, she's a really tricky opponent because she gets everything back and she scraps really well. Her defense is really, really good. So you have to keep, you know, keep going.

Also, it's tough, like, having to generate all the pace over and over and over again. It takes quite a bit out of you. Then when she wants, she can go and hit it quick and flat, and you don't really know what's coming.

Yeah, it was a pretty physical match today.

Q. We are about a month out from of course the US Open and a lot of tournaments between now and then, of course. What parts of your game are you sort of most pleased with right now, and what parts would you sort of need to tighten up, do you feel like?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think that parts of my game, you know, they change and it's not always like this thing is better. Like it does vary.

I think it's something that all athletes kind of go through. You feel like sometimes this is your strength. Then the other days it's maybe not.

But I think that for me like the biggest reward today was getting through that match physically. It was two sets, but it was basically three hours including the warmup.

Yeah, I think that physically, to be able to get through that and also mentally, as well, I mean, there were times when I had 4-2, 40-Love on her serve in the second set, and then to be 6-5 down, 30-15 down on my serve, just to be able to turn it around like that, I think mentally I'm really proud of how I'm doing right now.

Q. You kind of talked about this the other day, expectations and managing it the last 12 months and so forth. What do you most enjoy I guess about your position right now in the game and so forth?

EMMA RADUCANU: I think that it took me a while, but right now I most enjoy the challenge of continuously coming back and getting back up. Getting yourself out of rock bottom, really, a lot of times repetitively, I think it's a fun challenge and I think I have twisted my perception of it.

I'm not viewing it as a negative thing anymore. I'm just seeing, okay, like the cards are not great right now, but what can I do to turn it around. Then the reward that you feel after a win, knowing that you have come through that, it means a lot more.

Q. When it's that hot and humid and you know you are in for a long slog, is there a particular shot that becomes even more difficult, or even is like the clarity of strategic thought in decision-making affected by the heat? I just would love to convey what that does to you.

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think that it's tough to keep your focus, but also, say you're having a really good rally and a short ball comes, and you have gone like from a rally from the baseline where both of you are in it, and then you have got a short ball in the middle with nothing on it and you just like -- it's such a surprise, you kind of just run and fall into the shot. It's like really when your legs just kind of give out under you. That's probably one of the things.

But also just using your legs like to keep driving up on your serve, I think it's easy to kind of just start falling into shots. Also discipline, I think that's one of the biggest things that's probably affected.

Q. Where does that rate in terms of conditions in terms of have you played in heat that bad before? Where would you rate it? What have you been doing in the last two or three hours? Have you been sitting in an ice bath? How do you recover from that?

EMMA RADUCANU: I'm about a third of the way through treatment right now. So I'm going to go back and probably be here all night. No, I'm kidding (smiling).

But it was tough. Honestly three hours in that condition, I think that I probably played in Landisville, Pennsylvania, last year, and I'd say there it was probably worse conditions, but I wasn't out there for three hours with the length of rallies that I was out there today.

So conditions-wise it was probably hotter and tougher over there, but match-wise I think it's got to be one of the most physical matches I have ever played.

Q. You talked about seeing the clouds. Was there not a part of you that almost wanted it to come so you could have a break, or you wanted to try and get the match done?

EMMA RADUCANU: I mean, yes. It's flooding pretty bad. You could probably find a mermaid or something.

It's obviously playing on your mind. Because when you're serving for it, you're like, I don't want to be disrupted right now, but then, say, they're serving for it, for example, then you're like doing the rain dance. Like it's just dependent on the momentum and how the match is going.

It's tough like when there is a long break to keep your focus. I was saying after the first set it was such a long, emotional, physical first set, and coming off the court, it's very easy for your body to just like switch off and shut down.

Yeah, I was pretty pleased with coming out in the second set, and I started pretty strong, as well.

Q. That was a really nice embrace at the end with Camila. You guys are similar age. Do you know each other well or was that just totally respect because it was such a hard-fought match?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, we played juniors together. We are around the same age. We do know each other.

Off the court, we are pretty good friends. She's a really, really nice girl. I was in Mexico earlier in the year, and she was teaching me a little bit of Spanish. I think she's a great person, but, you know, when you're on the court playing someone, you're both going at it and at each other.

But in the end of the match, of course it was massive respect. I think at the end, as well, she was really, really nice, which is not necessarily easy after losing in three hours.

Q. Speaking of physical, how are the blisters? Is that another thing that like being able to deal with that and overcome it and so forth I'm sure at an annoying part of the match for that, but is that another sort of boost?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think that in conditions like these, I feel like a lot of players are probably dealing with blisters and they sort of come out of nowhere.

Yeah, right now, in the match today, I was determined. I was like so deep in it. I was drenched. Like everything was tired. I was, like, I'm just going to go through it.

I think blisters are something that hurt way more or if they are in an awkward position than people might think from the outside, but, yeah, I'm all right so far.

Q. You have talked about perfectionism and chasing that perfectionism. When you look back on the US Open, how close do you feel like you were to perfection during those matches, and has it been an issue to chase that level in the months that followed?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think that watching my matches at the US Open, there were times for sure that I was coming out with some outrageous shots. Sometimes in your career you feel like everything is automatic, you can go for whatever shot you want and it's going to land.

Those weeks don't come by very often. You might have one or two a year. For me, I mean, I was lucky that I had three like pretty much when it mattered really.

But I wasn't always playing perfect tennis. Like in my qualifying, I remember scrapping through some, my second-round qualifying match, and in my fourth round I remember I was so nervous in the first set and didn't necessarily feel like I was playing great, but it's definitely a lot about holding your nerve on those sort of matches in big courts.

I think that's something I did extremely well throughout the US Open, but I have just accepted like, Look, I'm not going to feel like that every week, but it's more challenging and more fun when you come through a win like that and a win when you are not necessarily feeling great because you know that there is room to improve.

Q. Did it take a while to accept that?

EMMA RADUCANU: To be honest, I don't think I was expecting to play US Open tennis every single week, because I knew myself I was, you know, so zoned out that I was playing really, really well, some of my best tennis, but I'd say even though maybe in the beginning of the year I was saying, Look, like, doesn't matter, no pressure, I think that I didn't necessarily buy into it as much as I probably do now.

Q. I know it's quite early in this trial period with Dmitry, but given the ordeal that you went through, I'm wondering, would you share anything about what you got from him, if anything, as you had occasion to look over in terms of a vibe or a lift? Is there anything you can share?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, he's a really relaxed guy and personality. I think that he is great to have around. When you are 5-All in the breaker, he's still chill, probably making some really bad joke.

No, he's got a good sense of humor, and he's good to have around in the team. He's teaching me how to be easier on myself, basically, not trying to chase this perfection. Like you can win and not be perfect.