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Emma Raducanu says US Open ‘doesn’t feel different at all’ without Andy Murray
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Emma Raducanu says US Open ‘doesn’t feel different at all’ without Andy Murray

Emma Raducanu stresses that the tennis world is moving forward rapidly as life after Andy Murray begins at the US Open.

Murray ended his glittering career after the Olympics. The tournament in New York is the first Grand Slam in the post-Murray era.

Raducanu was due to play with the Scot in the mixed doubles at Wimbledon but withdrew on the eve of their first-round match, ending Murray’s SW19 career.

When asked if anything felt different in New York without Murray, she said: “It doesn’t feel different at all. Tennis is unforgivable in that sense.

“It doesn’t matter who you are, it just keeps going. There’s always another game, there’s always another tournament.

“Of course Andy has achieved great things and I have seen him win this tournament, but it is a fast pace, just like life. It is old news the next day.

“I think the Brits are doing really well now. I think we’re all pushing each other a bit, we’re all competitive.

“You see other guys doing well and you want to do the same. I think, especially with the boys, there are a lot more guys in qualifying this year, which is really cool.

“Because when I came three years ago, there were hardly any players. Now I think there are many more who have a chance to do well, even in the premier league.”

Raducanu says she’s returning to Flushing Meadows this year with a different perspective.

The 21-year-old surprised the world when she won her fourth senior tournament three years ago.

She has not won a match in New York since then, having been eliminated in the first round in 2022 and injured last season.

Raducanu, who will play former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the first round on Tuesday, says she has digested her famous victory and is proud.

“I feel a lot better. I feel very proud when I come here,” she said.

“Walking past my picture every day. Walking past my name on the trophy every day. I think that’s such an epic achievement and these two weeks I’ve accomplished it.

“For me, coming back here, I come back with a completely different perspective. Just joy and pride and it inspires me to want to do more.

“I would say I was a lot more nervous and I think I felt more pressure (in 2022). That’s natural. I still haven’t accepted it.

“I think overall I’m in a much more solid and consistent state now than when I came back last time.”

Raducanu will begin the tournament with two weeks of training after opting out of qualifying for the Toronto and Cincinnati events. She is carefully managing her schedule following double wrist and ankle surgery last year.

She admits that she plans to play more often than this year, but that she will not participate in every tournament.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be the player who plays almost 30 events a year,” she added.

Walking past my picture every day. Walking past my name on the trophy every day. I think that’s such an epic achievement and these two weeks I’ve accomplished it

Emma Raducanu

“It’s not my style – it never was. When I was playing juniors I just played a few tournaments, played the slams and went to school.

“I’ve always done it that way, actually. Even when I won the US Open, I only played a few tournaments that year. Yeah, they were closer together.

“I am not in a hurry to play a lot. I prefer to focus on tournaments and be ready to play the tournaments I enter.”