Emma Raducanu insists she has zero expectations at the French Open after battling through three sets to win her opening-round match against qualifier Linda Noskova on Monday.
The British No1 dropped a tight first set on a tie-break, but fought back to win 6-7, 7-5, 6-1 and set up a meeting tomorrow against Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the second round.
Despite a strong start on her debut in the main draw at Roland Garros, Raducanu said: “I have no expectations here. I fought hard to be in the second round and I am just looking forward to trying to stay here as long as possible.”
The 19-year-old likened the feel of the French Open to last year’s US Open, where she stormed to a fairytale first Grand Slam title on her debut there. She will be hoping to go on a similar run in Paris.
“The French Open gives me similar vibes to the US Open, just because of the crowd and how involved they get,” she said. “It’s a complete contrast to Wimbledon, where it’s dead silent. You can actually hear a pin drop before you serve, it’s incredible.”
Raducanu’s 2022 season has been beset by various injuries, which have curtailed her progress since New York. A back complaint has been her most recent issue in the build-up to the French Open.
But she said doing gym work every day before and after going on court for training had helped strengthen her as she tries to put together a string of good results on clay ahead of the grass-court season.
“Physically, I think I was really good out there,” she said, after the three-setter against her Czech opponent. “I think that [my fitness] is definitely improving. Last week, I was doing a lot of gym work, a lot before and after practising, just keeping all the muscles fired up.
“It’s something I haven’t really done before, training through tournaments. I am pretty pleased with how I was out here physically and I feel really good.”
