How can Raducanu close gap on top players?

Following yet another brutal Grand Slam loss, Emma Raducanu finds comfort.

The world’s leading players, who Raducanu believes have additional motivation to defeat her, have faced her in all four of her defeats at this year’s major tournaments.

In the third round of the US Open, the British No. 1 was defeated by 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, who had earlier claimed just three games.

That came after six-time major champion Iga Swiatek and six-time champion Iga Swiatek both suffered similar one-sided defeats at the Australian and French Opens, but Raducanu did take on world no. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets at Wimbledon.

“When the very top players play against me, they have a point to prove that they are at the top, and they are there for a reason,” said 36th-ranked Raducanu, who recently appointed Francisco Roig as Rafael Nadal’s former coach.

“I believe that has been demonstrated by every time I’ve played one,” he said.

The top have definitely raised their game, in my opinion, even though I’m improving, doing better, and earning some more respect.

Multe questions have been raised about Raducanu’s revolving door of coaches since her US Open victory.

Raducanu enjoys learning, and she once attributed this to her high coaching turnover by asking “questions of them.”

The Spaniard who helped Nadal win each of his 22 Grand Slam titles with Roig’s recent appointment seems like a long-term wager.

The 57-year-old Catalan has an unparalleled technical knowledge, according to those who have had the opportunity to work with him.

The pair’s cooperation will continue until the season’s end.

Although it’s only been three weeks, the three weeks have been pretty productive, in the sense that we’ve made some positive improvements. Raducanu, who plans to return to competitive action when the Asian hard-court swing debuts next month, said.

He can’t really work miracles, he said, “but today my weaknesses were highlighted.”

As part of the BBC Radio 5 Live commentary team, Croft observed Raducanu’s defeat and described him as “very tactical, very demanding, and very vocal.”

She will respond to it and I believe she likes that. “Working with such a great champion for a number of years couldn’t be better, couldn’t it get better.

The fact that Raducanu did not drop serve during her opening two matches in New York has made her serve a more potent weapon over the course of the season.

However, Rybakina’s first-serve percentage alarmingly decreased, and she was harshly punished.

It’s important to develop my serve because it’s improved but still thinks it can improve,” Raducanu said.

I have some significant work to do because I’m ready for a quick return after the serve as well.

“Once I’m in the rally, I feel fine, but when I’m against Elena, I hardly ever felt in a rally.”

Raducanu and Rybakina faced off in New York on a high of optimism.

She is on the verge of regaining her place in the top 30 after a successful season where she spent more time on the court and appeared more resilient.

Since losing the US Open in September 2022, Raducanu’s ranking has not increased.

But she was unable to get a seed at Flushing Meadows, leaving her vulnerable when she had to face a highly ranked player early in the draw.

It’s tough because I’ve lost to Aryna and Elena twice, according to Rapcananu.

“But at the same time, that’s where I’m at with regard to my ranking. In the first, second, or third round, I can face formidable opponents.

“So I just need to do my best in the upcoming months until Australia, where I can just keep working to try to bridge the gap.

Less than a month after their Wimbledon meeting, Sabalenka was encouraged by twice pushing her to three sets in Cincinnati.

However, Rybakina’s chastening defeat, which saw her repeatedly hit the Briton off the court with insulting winners, served as a reminder of how she still needs to get better.

In her 18 career matches against top-10 opponents, Raducanu now has won just three of those three.

I believe I’m improving overall, she said, “depending on the day and how we match up.”

The defeat of Raducanu served as another illustration of how her game struggled to compete with the dominant players.

Despite being able to defeat Sabalenka in Cincinnati, Raducanu was helped by her opponent’s inconsistent performance and a lack of regular examination.

Rybakina’s radical attack was a different idea.

The Kazakh, 26, only managed to land 47% of her first serves, but 81% of those points were won, and 63% of her second-serve points were claimed.

In defensive situations, Raducanu frequently found himself pinned back behind the baseline, unable to elude dragging Rybakina out of the wings.

American former world number six Chanda Rubin, who also worked for 5 Live, said, “You have to have your strategy right away against top players.”

Everything is in your favor because you get behind or start trying to figure out how to play them in real time.

Although Raducanu won’t be a superstar, she could have taken more chances and gotten richer.

Croft thinks Raducanu might benefit from practice sessions with male opponents in between tournaments to help her with adapting to pace.

“I once had the privilege of training with Steffi Graf, and she did it all with blokes,” Croft said. “Everything was coming at her so quickly, hard, and flat.