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Khaleej Times
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Raducanu back at Wimbledon as British number one but tempers expectations
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 US 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 per cent. 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."
CNA
29-06-2025
- Sport
- CNA
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 per cent. 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)
Reuters
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Raducanu back at Wimbledon as British number one but tempers expectations
LONDON, June 29 (Reuters) - 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)
Daily Mail
28-06-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Emma Raducanu declares she's ready to EMBRACE the UK heatwave - with temperatures at Wimbledon soaring to 34 degrees Celsius on Melting Monday
Emma Raducanu insists she's ready to handle the heatwave as Wimbledon braces itself for its hottest-ever opening day. Temperatures are predicted to soar to 34 degrees on Monday, smashing the previous record for the hottest start to the tournament of 29.3C in 2001. 'I'm ready to embrace it,' declared Raducanu, who faces fellow Brit Mingge Xu third on No1 Court on Melting Monday. 'I feel like the heat in the UK is extra hot. Even when the number says a certain level, it feels hotter always. I'm prepared. I'm going to stay hydrated, do all the right things and hopefully I'll be okay.' Forecasters predict the high humidity could make conditions at Wimbledon feel as hot as 37 degrees with orange weather warnings issued for parts of the UK, including London. The hottest day during an entire Wimbledon was on July 1 2015 when thermometers reached 35.7C. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz revealed he will wear special patches that analyse his sweat so he knows how much water he needs to drink to cope with the sweltering conditions. 'I always say the details makes difference,' said Alcaraz, who could become only the fifth men's player to win three successive Wimbledon titles. 'Next week it's going to be pretty hot so I think it's going to be great to know what if I should take more water or whatever.' Wimbledon organisers will provide more water refill stations for spectators around the grounds as part of their extra measures to deal with the sweltering temperatures. Weather alerts will be announced on the big screens while medical teams will be on hand to assist if anyone feels the effects of the heat. Wimbledon's heat rule will also come into force, which allows the players to break from play and leave court during matches. British No 2 Katie Boulter, like Raducanu, is looking forward to soaking up the sun when she faces off against Spaniard Paula Badosa second on Centre Court on Monday. 'I enjoy the heat, so I won't complain' said Boulter. 'Paula's more used to it than me, she's got one up there! I think everyone is a little bit surprised as to how long the heat has been here for. I'm really enjoying it. I do need some more AC in my house but aside from that. I like playing in the heat, when it's hot it's usually a bit quicker.' Former semi-finalist Cameron Norrie, who faces Roberto Bautista Agut on Court 18 on Monday, said: 'I'm going to have to get a lot of match shirts ready! There's going to be a lot of long rallies and playing second match in the hottest part of the day – so they've definitely thrown me out there!'
Times
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Times
Emma Raducanu: I don't expect much at Wimbledon (and I'm not dating Alcaraz)
Emma Raducanu has said she 'doesn't expect much' from herself at Wimbledon, despite returning as the British No1 to a tournament where she has twice reached the fourth round. Raducanu has been struggling with back issues recently and last week at the Eastbourne Open disclosed that she had also received some bad personal news. She faces the British teenager Mingge Xu in the first round and could potentially meet the former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the second round and the world No1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third. Raducanu, 22, who will partner Carlos Alcaraz in the mixed doubles at the US Open, also denied rumours that they are an item, saying they are 'just good friends'. The world No38 spoke about wanting to 'embrace the occasion' of her fourth Wimbledon and 'feel the surroundings and the atmosphere' but made it very clear that she will not be adding to external expectations with any lofty goals of her own. She said the one day off that she had after losing in the second round at Eastbourne to Maya Joint was 'not much time' in the circumstances, adding that she would 'just keep going' at Wimbledon and then 'deal with everything else' afterwards. She reiterated that she is 'managing' her back, describing it as 'not 100 per cent' but with the caveat that tennis players rarely are physically. Xu, 17, is ranked outside the top 300 and only won her first Tour-level match at Nottingham last week, but Raducanu described it as a 'dangerous' match, complimenting Xu as a 'really good player' with 'a lot of weapons'. Raducanu, who made her Wimbledon main-draw debut as an 18-year-old four years ago, noted how 'completely fearless' she felt then and said her teenage opponent would have 'nothing to lose'. The British No1, whose mother is Chinese, said that she occasionally speaks to Xu's mother in Mandarin. But despite the parallels in their journeys, she said she didn't see herself as being in a position to dispense advice. 'I haven't really given advice,' she said. 'It's weird, I don't really see myself in that sort of light to be giving advice. 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.'
