Poor decision-making has been one of the hallmarks of Raducanu’s career. Going through nearly 10 coaches since winning the US Open in 2021 has been detrimental from a playing perspective but also off the court. Without a reliable team there has been no guidance about which tournaments to enter with a focus on the long-term. She has been without a coach for swathes of the season, often travelling with just a hitting partner.
The after-effects of a viral illness that she first picked up in Cluj have severely affected her season to the extent that she still has a lingering cough at the end of May, almost three months since she lost the final in early February. And playing on clay she admitted irritates that cough further, so why take the risk?
“In hindsight, you know, after the two matches I’ve played, it could have been nice to have saved yourself the match, like today,” she said after the defeat by Sierra.
Raducanu has played less than many tennis players in the four years since she joined the tour full time, but her body has not held up well. She has required surgery on both wrists and an ankle meaning she cannot approach entering tournaments in the same way as those who populate the top 20.
Grass suits her aggressive game much more than the slower surface. Raducanu has compromised at least some of her grass-court season by rushing back to play on clay, when she could have focused on one of the key advantages she does have as a British player.
Raducanu is known to play when her physical condition suggests that she shouldn’t and prioritises the bigger events like WTA 500s over the smaller ones.
It is not about playing more matches, but choosing the right matches. Taking to the court when ill-prepared or playing smaller events where you can build up momentum with a string of wins, just as Raducanu did when she reached the final in Cluj in February.
Two years ago she chose to skip French Open qualifiers to prepare sufficiently for the grass season, and she went on to equal her best result in her home grand slam. It might have been the better option to do so again.