UK will have two of its most important tennis players at Wimbledon, or at least we hope so, because Andy Murray's presence is not yet certain, while Emma Raducanu will certainly be there. Murray suffered a serious back injury at the Queen's Club Championships, which led to an almost inevitable surgery, which puts his presence in London at risk.
Emma, on the media day of the Championships, spoke with words of admiration of her legendary countryman, defined by the young former winner of the US Open as a hero to be admired.
"I'm very happy to see him here. When I think of Wimbledon, I think of Andy. Because growing up, that was the generation, the hero that I would look up to. I think that's right. I really hope that on Tuesday or whenever he plays, he will be on the court," she told.
Emma, Slam champion at 18 years old at the 2021 US Open, returns to play at Wimbledon. And she says she is very confident ahead of the tournament in which she will make her debut tomorrow on the Central court facing the Russian tennis player Ekaterina Alexandrova. Emma today is 168 in the world and is in the draw with a wild card. On the eve of the tournament, she said she was happy to be here again, I missed this tournament so much and that she was very grateful to have the opportunity and the wild card to be able to compete in London. Raducanu tormented by injuries in her career, she arrives at Wimbledon after a semi-final in Nottingham and the quarter-finals in Eastbourne.
"I haven't been injured lately. I have a lot of confidence in my body. I was able to play three games at a high level in the last week and I came out physically unscathed. I think I'm in excellent condition. Last year I worked a lot on end of the season to return healthy and without discomfort, and it is a job that I have continued this year, I feel very good physically, without a doubt my preparation for Wimbledon is working.
I've found a great balance between the amount of games I play and being physically fresh. The week in Eastbourne helped me play high-level matches, get a big win in the second round and gain a lot of confidence. When you overdo it it's very easy to get injured again. It's something I've learned. The match against Alexandrova will obviously be difficult. I think she has great shots. On this surface it is very dangerous. I expect a really difficult match. If I make it through the first round, I'll be over the moon," she explained
As I said at the beginning of the article, Emma has now left the Top 150 and, with difficulty, dreams of returning to express her best tennis.
At Eastbourne, she explained: "I love being here in the conference too, I like everything that contains the essence of sport. I love tennis and I must say that in recent times the desire has returned, the flame inside me has been rekindled and not I can't wait to get on the pitch. The flame has been rekindled, for me getting on the pitch is always a lot of fun and now I'm finally having fun again changes I'm excited because I'm getting back to playing my tennis. At a certain point I asked myself: Why? What's happening' and I struggled to find answers. Now I don't think about the results but only about having fun and even in training I am more relaxed. Today I just play thinking about the way I train, play and just think about all the good things that have happened to me and are happening to me over the years. This makes me play with peace of mind. If I am fit and give 100% I have the knowledge that great things can come, but at the moment I feel that I cannot afford to put any further stress on my body and take any further risks, especially given my recent history with injuries," she analyzed.
