Emma Raducanu hopes a new approach and hot yoga can help her to Wimbledon wins
Aged just 22, she tells me she's now in the midst of finding the balance between recovery, wellbeing and performance both on and off the court. In a way, this is an opportunity that comes in the later stages of a seasoned athlete's career. For Raducanu, the last few years have given her a unique insight on what it takes to get ahead – both physically and mentally.
Prior to her Wimbledon appearance, Raducanu was forced to take a step back from the relentless pace of elite tennis. While this was difficult for her, a break offered a shift in perspective. Her training now looks different and she explains that she's leaning into a quieter kind of strength.
She tells me, 'getting ready for the tournaments, fitness training is the same as always but [I'm also] making sure I get time off the court as well to kind of de-stress and take my time. Having Emma time, to just be on my own.'
Raducanu explains that recovery isn't just something she slots in around the hard work, it's a core part of it. And yes, while she is partial to an ice bath, recovery can also mean spending time with loved ones to boost her mood and help her to re-centre herself.
'I love going for walks. I go for a lot of walks – morning, evening, whenever I can fit them in. [I] go find a nice little coffee shop, maybe a gallery here and there, I'm quite into my art too. Otherwise [I'm] reading or spending time with friends if I can,' she says.
Of course, the delicate balance of recovery and training means pushing the body to its limits and then winding down to gear up for a harder push. Intensity is still a staple in the rising star's training and she's incorporated different elements to test herself ahead of Wimbledon.
'I love doing hot yoga. It's my favourite type of exercise and it makes me pretty strong in the heat as well.' She notes the highs of 33 degrees on Wimbledon's opening day. 'Afterwards you feel great 'cause you sweat so much. It's just a great feeling after all the endorphins.'
She tells me there isn't a rigid schedule when it comes to training, but she is consistent in finding balance between her court work, gym and recovery. When transitioning between surfaces, for example, she explains that it takes 'a little bit of extra time' to adjust, sharing that this time around, 'it took me a good 10 days, but I feel pretty comfortable now on the grass.'
Off the court, Raducanu's focus is on her core muscles, which she says helps with the back injury that's lingered since the pre-season. She's also putting more of an emphasis on legs and the posterior chain, explaining that 'on grass you need to stay low for longer.'
'I'd say reformer Pilates and hot yoga is so good for the deep core work, which is really helpful for the back.'
As a part of a typical training week, she tells me she practices, 'twice a day and [I'll do] one maybe two gyms a day with a longer warm up.'
In total, what she describes as a 'proper' training week will see her at around '20 hours on court.' Meanwhile, off the court she works to, 'recover well, sleep well, hydrate and eat well.'
'I have a good practice session before hopefully getting ready for the next day and just do a lot of treatment – a lot of physio and compression, ice. It does take a while but it's worth it at the end of the day cause your body feels refreshed after.'
If the recovery time follows a win, 'then that evening I really try and take the win in and enjoy it and savour it,' she says.
Read more: Five stretches you should be doing every day according to a flexibility expert
In terms of maintaining energy during long matches, Raducanu works with an expert nutritionist but explains that she sticks to simple rules. 'I stay hydrated, making sure I take my Evian.'
'I've started eating a lot more protein. I think I was pretty down on protein and I'm trying to get my iron levels up. I'm having a lot more steak, which the doctor ordered, and I'm not complaining about.'
Routine, simple intentional rules and a willingness to enjoy the process seems to be working in the tennis star's favour as she sets out to play her first match on Court One.
The athlete is taking a more longevity-focused approach to her health – one that's about building a body that's match-ready, a positive mindset and a life that feels satisfying. She tells me between her taxing workouts she's studying art history and that she brings a Jellycat toy along in her gym bag as a good luck charm on match days.
'I'm looking forward to Wimbledon and it's always special playing in my home slam here. This year the weather is so nice – last year it rained a lot so we're really getting to make the most out of the British summer.'
Emma Raducanu's match against Mingge Xu is the third and final match on Court 1 on Monday 30 June.
Read more: Chris Hemsworth's trainer reveals the exact workout plan he's using to prepare for Avengers: Doomsday
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New York Times
32 minutes ago
- New York Times
How Wimbledon's grass courts are maintained
Follow live reaction to day three with American fifth seed Fritz pushed all the way by unseeded Canadian Diallo in the final match at SW19 today Getty Images Day three of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships concluded with Taylor Fritz winning a late thriller in the second round at SW19. American Fritz (5), facing the 6ft 8ins unseeded Canadian Gabriel Diallo under the lights on a roof-closed No. 1 Court, won the deciding set 6-3. Jasmine Paolini (4) and Frances Tiafoe (12) were knocked out by underdogs, with Carlos Alcaraz (2) and Madison Keys (6) through. Brit Emma Raducanu, Karen Khachanov (17), Andrey Rublev (14), Elise Mertens (24) and Naomi Osaka also progressed at the All England Club. Watch: BBC (UK), ESPN (U.S.); Get involved: live@ GO FURTHER Cameron Norrie rescues second-round comeback win to send Frances Tiafoe out of Wimbledon Getty Images Neil Stubley, Wimbledon's head of courts and horticulture, is the man in charge of keeping the tennis courts pristine as he enters his 30th tournament. He and his team of 18, which grows to 31 during the event, are responsible for 'anything that grows' — including weeds. 'Every day we test the ball bounce height and the hardness of the surface,' Stubley says. 'If they're getting too hard, we can add a little more water. If they get too soft, we can just hold off on irrigation and let Mother Nature dry it out a little more. 'Last week, it got its final liquid fertilizer on to give it the right color that we need.' GO FURTHER How Wimbledon gets its grass courts, flowers and tennis balls ready for Grand Slam action Getty Images Wimbledon's second-biggest and second-most important court, with a seating capacity of 12,345 (singer Lou Bega's ears have perked up). Opened in 1997, it was renovated in 2019 and has a retractable roof, like Centre Court. Cameron Norrie called it his favorite court earlier today after beating Frances Tiafoe. Will Tiafoe's fellow American Taylor Fritz (5) have better luck against Gabriel Diallo? That match follows Katie Boulter vs. Solana Sierra. Nice comeback from Ann Li in the first-set tiebreaker against Elise Mertens, and Li wins the set 7-6(5). That has to be a big confidence boost for Li against the No. 24 seed. The first set was split right down the middle with Li winning 50 points to 49 for Mertens. It doesn't get much closer than that. Getty Images We would love to hear from you. Be it a comment, tennis question, prediction or something else, we welcome it all. Email us at: live@ and we'll feature the best of what we get in this live coverage. So get involved! Getty Images In the men's, Adrian Mannarino wins an all-French tie between he and Valentin Royer, 6-4, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(1). In the women's, Cristina Bucşa has got past last year's semifinalist, Donna Vekić of Croatia, 6-1, 6-3. It was never going to last — the hot weather from the first two days of the tournament has broken and it's much cooler around Wimbledon today. Rain delays are far from ideal for scheduling but once matches get going again on outdoor courts, it's a much friendlier environment for players and spectators. Tournament organisers did all that they could to battle the heat and keep people safe as a 148-year-old heat record was broken, as Michael D. Shear writes for the New York Times here. From distributing 6,700 refillable water bottles to 'shade mapping' and a 'heat rule' for players, they have had to react to the weather nimbly. The scene at 'Henman Hill' just now. It's packed out for Carlos Alcaraz's Centre Court match against Brit Oliver Tarvet. Here are the start times, as currently listed, for the singles matches coming up: Men's singles Cristian Garín vs. Arthur Rinderknech (5:15 p.m. BST, 12:15 p.m. ET) (5:15 p.m. BST, 12:15 p.m. ET) Botic van de Zandschulp vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (5:25 p.m. BST, 12:25 p.m. ET) (5:25 p.m. BST, 12:25 p.m. ET) Jiří Lehečka vs. Mattia Bellucci (5:30 p.m. BST, 12:30 p.m. ET) (5:30 p.m. BST, 12:30 p.m. ET) Arthur Fery vs. Luciano Darderi (5:35 p.m. BST, 12:35 p.m. ET) (5:35 p.m. BST, 12:35 p.m. ET) Kamil Majchrzak vs. Ethan Quinn (5:35 p.m. BST, 12:35 p.m. ET) (5:35 p.m. BST, 12:35 p.m. ET) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Jan-Lennard Struff (5:35 p.m. BST, 12:35 p.m. ET) (5:35 p.m. BST, 12:35 p.m. ET) Taylor Fritz vs. Gabriel Diallo (5:40 p.m. BST, 12:40 p.m. ET) Women's singles Jasmine Paolini vs Kamilla Rakhimova (4:15 p.m. BST, 11:15 a.m. ET) (4:15 p.m. BST, 11:15 a.m. ET) Renata Zarazúa vs. Amanda Anisimova (4:20 p.m. BST, 11:20 a.m. ET) (4:20 p.m. BST, 11:20 a.m. ET) Naomi Osaka vs. Kateřina Siniaková (4:25 p.m. BST, 11:25 a.m. ET) (4:25 p.m. BST, 11:25 a.m. ET) Diana Shnaider vs. Diane Parry (4:25 p.m. BST, 11:25 a.m. ET) (4:25 p.m. BST, 11:25 a.m. ET) Beatriz Haddad Maia vs. Dalma Gálfi (4:30 p.m. BST, 11:30 a.m. ET) (4:30 p.m. BST, 11:30 a.m. ET) Eva Lys vs. Linda Nosková (4:30 p.m. BST, 11:30 a.m. ET) (4:30 p.m. BST, 11:30 a.m. ET) Katie Boulter vs. Solana Sierra (4:30 p.m. BST, 11:30 a.m. ET) (4:30 p.m. BST, 11:30 a.m. ET) Ashlyn Krueger vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (5:35 p.m. BST, 12:35 p.m. ET) (5:35 p.m. BST, 12:35 p.m. ET) Emma Raducanu vs. Markéta Vondroušová (5:55 p.m. BST, 12:55 p.m. ET) (5:55 p.m. BST, 12:55 p.m. ET) Aliaksandra Sasnovich vs. Elina Svitolina (7:10 p.m. BST, 2:10 p.m. ET) FINAL: Fonseca 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 Brooksby João Fonseca pulls out a four-set win over American Jenson Brooksby, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4. It was a close match throughout with Fonseca winning 142 points and Brooksby winning 131. Neither player won more than three games in a row. Fonseca just was able to win enough of the big points to claim the win. He secured the win in front of a very happy crowd inside No. 1 Court this afternoon, so here's how Cam Norrie felt about that match speaking on court: 'I was really happy when I saw the schedule and saw it was on Court One, it's my favourite court., It was an amazing atmosphere, we played to a really high level. I played point for point. 'It's really nice to play Frances in a big match at Wimbledon. It's so special, you forget so quickly. I walk around the corner there and I feel goosebumps, it's such a special court and a tradition. 'I was trying to take it all in and smile as much as I could before I went to battle. I was happy with my level and there was a lot of enjoyment.' Getty Images Tiafoe 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 5-7 Norrie That's the ball game! Unseeded Brit Cameron Norrie has knocked out 12th seed Frances Tiafoe of the United States. Tiafoe trudged off afterwards and is another seed to bite the dust here at Wimbledon. Getty Images Getty Images What a noise! Two aces from Norrie in that game sent him well on his way to sealing match point. There was a moment in the final rally there that a few spectators thought the Brit had won it — before he finally sealed it a few shots later as Tiafoe went long. That was a really hard-won victory. Getty Images Tiafoe 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 5-6* Norrie Norrie 15-0 and rumblings of anticipation. The noise slowly growing inside No. 1 Court, but he nets for 15-all. Shouts of 'Come on Frances!' echo around the arena. Two big aces, for 40-15... And the crowd here know it. In the middle of that rally, there were low mutterings of 'Come on!' from the fans sat around us here, in support of Norrie. That became a roar rather than a mutter when Tiafoe made an error and hit into the net. Getty Images Tiafoe 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 5-6* Norrie The ball flies off Tiafoe's racket, scooped horribly wide, and Norrie is one game from the third round. Getty Images FINAL: Nakashima 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-4 Bu Brandon Nakashima is through with a four-set win over Bu Yunchaokete. The two split the first two sets, but Nakashima gets the win in four sets. It's a nice, hard win for the No. 29 seed. Getty Images Tiafoe 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 5-5* Norrie Brilliant rally just then, as Nancy mentioned. Another error and Norrie is at 0-30. Gorgeous touch from Tiafoe, who is halfway between the baseline and the net, perfectly placed to angle a cute volley away. 15-30, then 15-40 and two break points after a poor drop shot from the American finds the top of the net. He is in a spot of bother now. Getty Images As Tiafoe starts his service game, Norrie comes up with the goods! The American sent a lovely drop shot just over the net but, with a cry as he threw everything behind it, Norrie made it just in time to hit a winner. That was popular inside No. 1 Court.
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bella Ramsey to Star in UK Witness Protection Drama Maya
Bella Ramsey is on the run again: The star of HBO's The Last of Us has joined the cast of Maya, a new drama series for the UK's Channel 4, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Ramsey will star alongside Daisy Haggard (Breeders, Episodes), who also created the series and will make her directorial debut. Haggard will play Anna, with Ramsey as her teenage daughter Maya, with the two of them forced to enter witness protection and relocate to a rural Scottish town. More from TVLine Casting News: Alison Brie's FX Pilot, One Tree Hill Vet Joins Emily in Paris and More Jennifer Aniston to Play Jennette McCurdy's Mother in I'm Glad My Mom Died Series Adaptation for Apple TV+ Eva LaRue Leaving General Hospital 'As they try to adjust to their new reality, the trauma of their past continues to haunt them in the form of two hitmen intent on tracking them down,' according to the official synopsis. 'As the walls close in, it becomes clear that a dangerous figure from their past is still a looming threat.' The series is set to be filmed on location in Scotland later this year; there's no word yet on when or where it might air here in the U.S. 'This story and these characters Daisy has created are so alive, nuanced, wickedly funny and scarily dark,' Ramsey said in a statement. 'Every character jumps off the page, the dialogue is incredibly witty and I'm so excited to get to play Maya opposite Daisy's Anna.' Ramsey currently stars as apocalypse survivor Ellie on the HBO zombie drama The Last of Us; it was renewed for Season 3 in April, days ahead of the Season 2 premiere. (Ramsey is set to play a larger role in Season 3 as well, following the demise of Pedro Pascal's Joel.) Ramsey previously broke out as pint-sized warrior Lyanna Mormont on HBO's Game of Thrones; their other TV credits include His Dark Materials and Becoming of TVLine Stars Who Almost Played Other TV Roles — on Grey's Anatomy, NCIS, Lost, Gilmore Girls, Friends and Other Shows TV Stars Almost Cast in Other Roles Fall TV Preview: Who's In? Who's Out? Your Guide to Every Casting Move!


Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
Hall of Fame Open to feature highest purse at WTA 125 level
Associated Press NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — Women's professional tennis returns to the International Tennis Hall of Fame next week with the highest purse at the WTA 125 level. Both the men's and women's tours will have tournaments at the Hall of Fame Open, with both the women's event and the ATP Challenger one featuring $200,000 purses. While the ATP Tour had continued with the post-Wimbledon event on the Hall's grass courts, the women's tour hadn't played there since the 1990s. In order to return with equal prize money, the tournament partnered with the MARGARET ('May All Resolve, Girls Achieve Real Equity Today') Fund, which supports programs that promote education about and compliance with Title IX. That allowed for a 60% increase in the women's tour purse to match the men's at the event. The Hall of Fame Open begins with qualifying on Sunday and runs through July 13. ___ More AP tennis: in this topic