Emma Raducanu revealed that her emotional reaction following her dramatic first-round comeback at Eastbourne was due to receiving “some really bad news” shortly before taking to the court.
The British number one battled back from a set and a break down to defeat American Ann Li 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-1 in a match lasting two hours and 18 minutes. The 22-year-old held back tears after sealing the victory, later explaining the context behind her visible emotions.
“I’d prefer not to go into it, if that’s OK,” Raducanu told BBC Sport. “But I just received some really bad news, so I’m trying to deal with that in the background. Mentally, in the first set, I wasn’t really present.”
Courtside support came from coach Mark Petchey and Billie Jean King Cup teammate Fran Jones, whom Raducanu credited for helping her get through a difficult day. “Fran was there for me because she’s a good friend and she knows what’s going on. Having her there meant a lot.”
Despite the emotional strain, Raducanu kept her Wimbledon preparations intact and will now face Australian teenager Maya Joint on Wednesday for a place in the quarter-finals.
Speaking in her on-court interview, Raducanu thanked the home crowd: “They got me through some really sticky moments. I’m proud of how I fought back after losing the first set. It was tough, it was up and down, but midway through the second set I found another gear.”
Currently ranked 38th in the world, Raducanu is building toward her fourth Wimbledon appearance, having twice reached the fourth round since her memorable debut in 2021. Earlier this month, a quarter-final run at Queen’s saw her reclaim the British number one ranking for the first time in two years.
Raducanu had skipped last week’s Berlin Open to manage a back issue, and showed signs of struggle early in Eastbourne. After recovering from 0-3 in the opening set, she lost a tiebreak she had led 5-3 and appeared to tweak her leg during a slip in the 11th game. Li, ranked 64th, broke early in the second set, but Raducanu hit back immediately and gradually took control.
After saving four break points and regaining her rhythm, Raducanu won 10 of the last 12 games, storming through the final set to secure a hard-fought win.
She now looks ahead to her next challenge as the countdown to Wimbledon, which begins on 30 June, gathers pace.
