Raducanu managing expectations as British young guns prepare to fire

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13 hours ago

Britain's Emma Raducanu during a practice session at Wimbledon ahead of her first round match on No.1 Court on Monday (Reuters via Beat Media Group subscription)
By James Toney at Wimbledon
Pressure is a privilege, pressure makes diamonds and pressure, of course, can be throughly miserable.
But if new British number one Emma Raducanu is struggling in the ferocity of the furnace, ahead of the start of her Wimbledon campaign on Monday, in what promises to be the warmest day of the championship for years, she's hiding it well.
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Raducanu's sudden rise to fame, winning the US Open as a qualifier in 2021, means the glare of the spotlight has frequently been both blinding and debilitating.
In the ten Slams that have followed - four have also been missed by the nagging injuries of various kinds that have plagued her early career - she's won just 11 matches. Her run to the fourth round at Wimbledon last year is her best return since that storied night at a sweltering Flushing Meadows.
The last four years have seen Raducanu simultaneously adjust from being teenager to a young adult and learn to embrace her status a Grand Slam winner, with all the intense scrutiny that involves.
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She has had six full-time coaches since turning professional, admitting she finds building trust difficult while off court problems have included being targeted by stalkers and cyber trolls.
But former coach Mark Petchey, supported by a trusted team from the Lawn Tennis Association, is back in her corner at the All England Club, as she prepares for a first round match with fellow British player Mimi Xu, a 17-year-old making her Wimbledon debut, on No.1 Court on Monday.
Also supporting will be Nick Cavaday, who played a key role in her junior career, working with Raducanu since she was ten years old.
"My Wimbledon debut does feel like a long time ago. I mean, a lot has happened in the last four years," she said, never knowingly unsold.
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"It's good to see a new generation. It keeps us on our toes. It keeps us hungry to improve, it's just healthy competition between all of us. I know I'm going to have to bring a really good level of tennis if I want to get through it.
"Truthfully I don't expect much from myself this year. I know I've just been dealing with certain things. I just want to go out there and embrace the moment. I want to embrace the occasion.
"I know there's not many opportunities to be playing at Wimbledon. You get it once a year and for a finite amount of time. I'm just looking forward to going out there and feeling the surroundings and the atmosphere.
"It's a great privilege to be part of the Brits here. There's so many in the draw, so I think it will be great for everyone.
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"It's an honour to be British No. 1. It's been a long time, but Katie Boulter is hot on my heels and just a couple places behind me.
"I know she's such a great grass court player, such a great player in general, that it's going to be a really difficult battle for the rest of the season.
"Being number one is nice to have, but it isn't everything to me."
Xu, along with Hannah Klugman and Mika Stojsavljevic, is one of three under 17 British players in the women's draw - the first time this has happened in Wimbledon history.
She's been sitting her A-Levels during the grass court season recalls watching Radicand win at the US Open while a boarder at the LTA's national academy in Loughborough.
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'I haven't really given them advice. It's weird. I don't really see myself in that sort of light to be giving advice,' adds Raducanu.
'But I remember how it feels, for sure. I think that I'm still trying to figure things out, I'm still trying to learn and go through this journey.
They haven't come to me with any questions. I guess if any of them ever did, I'll try and tell them what I know. But it's probably not much.
"I've got to be focus on my match with Mimi, we've practised a few times and she's a very good player.
"She's got a lot of weapons and moves really well. For her, it's one where there's nothing to lose. I remember when I had my first Wimbledon here and I was 18. It's a great feeling. You just feel completely fearless."
The focus on Raducanu and Jack Draper, the world number five, in the men's draw has allowed Katie Boulter to fly a little under the radar this year - and she's no complaints.
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After two years as British number one she is now unseeded and faces a tough first round draw against former world number two Paula Badosa, who has reached the last 16 three times in her last four appearances.
It will mark just the second meeting between the Brit and Spaniard, with Badosa having won their only other meeting at Roland Garros last year after coming through in three sets.
"It's really nice to see the state of British tennis getting better and better every single year," said Boulter. "I feel like I'm extremely happy to see great people doing really good things."
"I personally want to be getting my ranking moving in the right direction. I'm very happy for Emma to be British number one. But, at the same time, it's going to be fun for me to chase her now."
For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website.