Raducanu back at Wimbledon as British number one but tempers expectations
LONDON - The first round of Wimbledon begins on Monday with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz seeking a hat-trick of titles at the All England Club while women's top seed Aryna Sabalenka resumes her quest for a first major this year after two runner-up finishes.
TOP WOMEN'S MATCH: EMMA RADUCANU V MINGGE XU
Emma Raducanu strides onto the grasscourts of Wimbledon on Monday as the British number one, a world away from the wide-eyed teenager who burst onto the scene at the All England Club four years ago.
"It does feel like a long time ago. A lot has happened in the last four years," Raducanu told reporters, reflecting on her meteoric rise from obscurity to the fourth round in 2021, a run that preceded her astonishing U.S. Open triumph later that year.
Raducanu faces 17-year-old British wildcard Mingge Xu, who will be making her own Grand Slam debut this year.
"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," Raducanu added.
The intervening years have been more of a cautionary tale, as injuries and the constant changing of coaches prevented the 22-year-old from building on that early success.
A recent back injury also forced her to withdraw from the Berlin Open and Raducanu arrives at Wimbledon with a question mark over her physical condition, saying her back is not yet at 100%.
Once the darling of British expectations, Raducanu now seeks to manage them carefully, speaking with the hard-earned wisdom of someone who has experienced both the summit and the struggle of professional tennis.
"Truthfully I don't expect much from myself this year," she said. "I know I've just been dealing with certain things. I just want to go out there and embrace the moment, embrace the occasion."
TOP MEN'S MATCH: TAYLOR FRITZ V GIOVANNI MPETSHI PERRICARD
While most top seeds fine-tuned their game on Wimbledon's pristine practice courts this week, Taylor Fritz was busy collecting silverware on England's south coast, a strategy the American hopes could finally unlock his Grand Slam potential.
The ninth seed arrives at the All England Club as the in-form player on grass having claimed two titles, beating Alexander Zverev on his home turf to lift the Stuttgart Open before he defended his Eastbourne Open title on Saturday.
"One more title and I might have to buy a house here," quipped Fritz after clinching his fourth Eastbourne crown in six editions on Saturday.
Fritz's unconventional preparation, playing competitively right up to the start of Wimbledon while rivals opt for closed practice sessions, represents a calculated gamble for a player whose Grand Slam performances have failed to match his seeding.
Despite enjoying fourth-seed status at both the Australian Open and the French Open this year, the 27-year-old American failed to reach the second week at both majors.
But where some players might see risks related to fatigue with such a tight turnaround, Fritz sees a competitive advantage.
"It is what it is, having to play at Wimbledon on Monday," Fritz said.
"I'd rather go into a tournament with a lot of confidence than being there for the whole week just practising."
WIMBLEDON ORDER OF PLAY ON MONDAY (prefix number denotes seeding)
CENTRE COURT (play begins at 1230 GMT)
Fabio Fognini (Italy) v 2-Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)
9-Paula Badosa (Spain) v Katie Boulter (Britain)
Arthur Rinderknech (France) v 3-Alexander Zverev (Germany)
COURT NUMBER ONE (play begins at 1200 GMT)
1-Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) v Carson Branstine (Canada)
Jacob Fearnley (Britain) v Joao Fonseca (Brazil)
Emma Raducanu (Britain) v Mingge Xu (Britain)
COURT NUMBER TWO (play begins at 1200 GMT)
Benjamin Bonzi (France) v 9-Daniil Medvedev (Russia)
Elena-Gabriela Ruse (Romania) v 6-Madison Keys (U.S.)
4-Jasmine Paolini (Italy) v Anastasija Sevastova (Latvia)
5-Taylor Fritz (U.S.) v Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (France) REUTERS
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