EMMA RADUCANU PLAYS DOWN EXPECTATIONS AHEAD OF WIMBLEDON RETURN - AFTER TIM HENMAN PREDICTS FORMER US OPEN WINNER IS FIT AND FIRING TO MAKE THE SECOND WEEK
- The 21-year-old will return to Centre Court to kick-off her campaign in SW19
- Raducanu missed out on 2023 event due to recovering from multiple surgeries
- She also paid tribute to the resilience of Andy Murray, vying for his swansong
Emma Raducanu on Saturday tempered expectations in response to Tim Henman’s prediction that she can reach the second week of Wimbledon, insisting she is a ‘complete underdog’ to beat Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round on Centre Court tomorrow.
The 21-year-old Brit is playing at the All England Club for the first time since 2022, having missed last year’s edition as she recovered from injury.
Yet while playing down her chances of a long run over the course of this fortnight, Raducanu did say she is in the mood for a ‘scalp’ as she takes on Alexandrova, the 22nd seed from Russia.
‘It’s a match where I’m actually the complete underdog because she’s a lot older, a lot more experienced, ranked a lot higher,’ said Raducanu, who is now ranked 168 in the world.
‘For me, I feel like it’s a great opportunity to try to get a good scalp, try to enjoy playing how I have been in the last few weeks and just get back into it. She’s got great weapons. On this surface, on grass, it only amplifies big weapons. I’m expecting a really difficult match.
‘For me, if I get through my first round, I’d be over the moon. Tim has higher expectations, I guess.
‘I feel very confident in my body. I was able to play three matches at a high level last week and come out physically unscathed. I’m in a really good place.
‘Last year I did a good chunk of work at the end of the year to get back and healthy. I’ve continued that work throughout this year. There are no doubts.’
On Andy Murray, practising on Saturday a week on from back surgery, she added: ‘For a tournament like Wimbledon, you’ll push your body, you’ll push your recovery to the maximum, you’ll take the consequences that come after or during, whatever you have to do.
‘I’m very happy to see him here because when I think of Wimbledon, I think of Andy. Growing up, that was the generation, the hero I would look up to.
‘It just feels right and I really hope that, on Tuesday or whenever he’s playing, he’s on the match court.’
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