Emma Raducanu believes she is a Wimbledon champion in the waiting after ending her injury-ravaged spell on tour.
Raducanu opted to miss the ongoing French Open after deciding against going through qualifying when she missed out on a coveted wildcard spot.
She has instead set her sights on the upcoming grasscourt swing where she is confident of making a strong mark, climaxing in Wimbledon, which gets under way on July 1.
Raducanu missed much of last season because of injury but has shown signs of promise since her comeback from triple surgery on both her wrists and an ankle.
Wimbledon proved her breakthrough event when she reached the fourth round in 2021 before pulling out during a fourth-round match against Ajla Tomljanovic with breathing difficulties.
It led question marks over her temperament but she silenced her doubters weeks later with her fairytale US Open title.
Asked of her chances of winning her home grand slam on her return this summer, the 21-year-old told Grazia magazine: “I feel good. I’m playing well and I’m training really hard. I’m doing a lot of good things and I know it’s going to happen. If not this Wimbledon, next Wimbledon.
“No one ever knows when it’s going to show up but I’m doing a lot of good things and I’ve put in a lot of work, and it’s heading in a good place. I fully back myself and trust myself, it’s just a matter of when really. I’ve been doing the right things and I’m just looking forward to playing in front of a home crowd.”
Following her injury hiatus, Raducanu has tumbled to 205th in the world and her protected ranking of 103rd will require injury withdrawals to make the main draw at Wimbledon. Failing that, she looks guaranteed a wildcard from tournament officials.
