AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 16, 2023

Emma Raducanu

Press Conference

E. RADUCANU/T. Korpatsch

6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Emma, well done. You must be pleased to get a match win here under your belt today.

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, thanks. I'm obviously really happy to be through to the second round. Yeah, it was always going to be difficult, you know, coming in with so little prep and being out there. But, yeah, I'm just really happy to have come through that.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Well done. How did the ankle feel out there? Looked like maybe to start with you were feeling out of it and then kind of grew in confidence as it went on.

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think I haven't done -- like, everything I've done has been quite controlled the last week. So to test it out in a real match and with the unpredictability and stuff, like, just getting used to it in the beginning. But, yeah, it felt good.

Q. Do you find today where you have that niggle in the back of your mind, do you find it to be more of a mental or a physical challenge playing with that going on?

EMMA RADUCANU: Well, I think you know it's there, and if anything, it kind of alleviates any pressure, because you're, like, well, I've done so well to get myself onto the court, and my team has done so well, like, Will has been working on it every single day. For him it's just a great achievement for all of us.

Then for me to be out there, it's like I might as well just enjoy all the hard work we've done to get myself here. If anything, it's not mental, it's more just like physical and playing, yeah, seeing how it is.

Q. The ice towel and sort of on the air con box as well, how did you find the conditions out there? Wondered if it was more of a bit of lack of conditioning in the heat or it was just really hot?

EMMA RADUCANU: The thing is, I've not necessarily done that much training, so I think part of it is also just precautionary. Like, you just want to stay on top of it before you get hit with, Oh, I'm exhausted and stuff. You just gotta stay on top of it beforehand and hopefully you don't get to that point.

Q. In terms of the ankle issue, maybe alleviating the pressure a bit today, does playing one of the favorites for the title next, does that kind of feel like a pressure for you?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I'm really looking forward to this match. I'm very up for it. Coco has obviously done a lot of great things and she's playing well. I'm just looking forward to the matchup.

I think we're both good, young players, we're both coming through. Yeah, part of the next generation of tennis really. Yeah, it's going to be a great match.

Q. How much do you know Coco as a person?

EMMA RADUCANU: I mean, I know her a fair bit. Off the court she's really nice and friendly and really down-to-earth. Yeah, she's cool.

Q. What do you make of her as a player? She's obviously had a very different path to you in terms of having a chance to build up through the ranks.

EMMA RADUCANU: Well, I think she's a great athlete. When she first came at Wimbledon, I think after that, took her a little bit to adjust as well, but then she definitely found her feet. She's playing really good tennis and looking really solid right now.

Yeah, she's a great athlete with some big weapons. Yeah, it's going to be a tough opponent. I'm looking forward to the occasion.

Q. Did you and Sebastian talk much during the match? Did you get any input from him from the sidelines?

EMMA RADUCANU: I mean, he said a few things over the sidelines to me, but, yeah, just more little reminders. There's not coaching you can really do, I think, when you're in the moment and, you know, you're playing and there's not much time. But, yeah, a few pointers here and there.

Q. As you often say, not very experienced on tour, so when you play a player for a second time, I guess that's a bit of a rarity. How would you compare the way you played against her back in Stuttgart and the way you played now? Do you feel you're a significantly different and improved player, or...

EMMA RADUCANU: I think it's good to have that experience against a player. You kind of have a better idea. She's an awkward player. I think in the conditions today, like, the balls are quite heavy here, and it would like slow it down. That I think favored her.

But, yeah, she's tricky. Like, sometimes she will hit high, sometimes nothing, sometimes she'll shank it but it would be really effective.

It was tough. I had to stay on my feet, on my toes. I think, I don't know, I actually think I played better, like, for patches in Stuttgart.

But, yeah, I'm just happy with the way I kind of handled myself today in the matches. Like, there were points where I wasn't necessarily playing the best, but I was good mentally to carry on going.

Q. I know Coco is obviously still so young, but do you feel like she's somebody maybe you can learn from in the way she's handled the spotlight and being able to rise up the tennis ranks now?

EMMA RADUCANU: I think I can learn from everyone. It's not just the top players that you see in the rankings that you can learn from. There are players ranked 150 in the world taking care of what they need to take care of in the gym and the locker room. I think that often gets quite overlooked and you don't see it.

So I think, yeah, of course she's someone who's also achieved great things and is a good role model, but so is pretty much everyone out there.

Q. Is that a coconut drink?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, it's so good. I used to hate coconuts actually until the Australian Open last year, and then I had it and it's a game changer.

Q. Is there a place you go to that does them?

EMMA RADUCANU: The Australian Open, once-a-year situation (Laughter.)

Q. Wanted to ask about your forehand today. So aggressive on it, lots of intent. Was that a concerted thing? Something you worked on in the offseason?

EMMA RADUCANU: Honestly, my offseason, the tennis part was like six days, honest. I did not really train. But I did a lot in the gym, and I think that my forehand is a real weapon of mine. It's going to take some fine tuning, but going forward I really see myself loving that side and I really do.

Yeah, I think just at the moment I'm swinging more freely in general, and yeah, it probably shows in my forehand maybe.