INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

May 12, 2025

Emma Raducanu

Press Conference

C. GAUFF/E. Raducanu

6-1, 6-2

Q. (Question about the match in general.)

EMMA RADUCANU: I found it really hard today. The conditions were different. It was windy. So high-bouncing. I felt lake every ball was outside my strike zone, so I couldn't get a good hit. Yeah, it just kept getting higher and higher. It was really hard.

And Coco played a great match, too. Found great shape, great width, great depth. I felt outplayed today. But it was good to kind of see where I'm at in these conditions.

Q. How tough is it to consistently hit through her?

EMMA RADUCANU: It's really hard. You feel like there's no space on the court. You don't really know where to hit, especially when she's playing like that.

Both sides held up really well. Her serve held up really well. It's a good testament to her. She's 2 in the world for a reason. I definitely felt that and saw that today.

Q. Did you feel the heat at all?

EMMA RADUCANU: No, I didn't feel the heat, to be honest. I felt more just the wind and the unpredictability of the ball that was coming. That was the biggest challenge for me.

Q. Obviously this has been a great week. Just curious what you take from this in general?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I take good confidence I think from the first three rounds. I played really good tennis. I came through some really tough opponents, as well. Last-minute changes, recovering after a set down, two three-set wins, which was big for me. I'm happy about that.

I think I got a lot more points with my serve and forehand in. I think I'm looking to dictate more and be more aggressive.

I just found it really hard today because I wasn't really sure on the bounce or what was coming my way. Coco made it really difficult for me to kind of just dictate.

Q. What lessons would you take from Rome leading into Paris?

EMMA RADUCANU: I think I've taken the lessons that I need to, like, for me to have success, I need to keep swinging, committing to my forehands. The first three rounds, I had a lot of success doing that.

I think I also need to just work on, like, for me to see the ball today that I was receiving was really valuable. I haven't really played these top opponents very often because I haven't been in the tournaments for long enough. For me to be kind of playing them now is good exposure. I can take lessons, in practice try to replicate certain balls that are really heavy, really shaped, unpredictable.

I think I've been trying to work so much on just, like, basics of trying to develop a weapon that some shorter balls that I have to finish, to use some finesse. I think I need to run up to them and learn how to do something with that, as well.

Q. One of the themes the past few weeks has been you finding your identity on court, your creativity. What triggered that?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think on and off the court it's just been a big theme. I think off the court I just had some big realizations. Certain circumstances basically forced me to kind of be like, Okay, I have to be the best version of myself, I need to just channel everything into what I'm doing, try and grow and be a better person.

Yeah, I think I've been doing a pretty good job of that.

I saw this quote on TikTok, it was really good: Enjoy being in the process of becoming. I think that's my kind of motto that I'm sticking to right now.

Q. How much does that make off court trying to enjoy yourself, finding balance in that? How does that connect to on court?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, big-time. I think I'm a player who is very much a feeling person. I find it very difficult to separate between the person that I am on the court and off the court, which means that I try to make sure off the court everything is in a good way and I'm feeling I have like good self-esteem, I feel confident in myself, my abilities and my depth of knowledge and everything.

I think I'm just growing off the court, then that gives me confidence when I walk around. When I'm on-site, I'm like, Hey, I'm not just necessarily just here to play tennis. I can go and rely on other things. I'm growing, I'm learning in this aspect of my life, as well.

Yeah, just cultivating a better version of myself, which I'm enjoying.