Emma Raducanu has revealed that she is uncertain how her body will cope with the demands of the grass court season after suffering a fresh back spasm during training. The 22-year-old British player faced her latest injury setback just as she prepared for the first women’s tournament at Queen’s Club in 52 years, which forced her to miss several days of practice.
This recent back spasm is the second in three weeks for Raducanu. She first experienced the issue during a match against Danielle Collins in Strasbourg a week before the French Open. As a result, she is entering the Queen’s Club event with tempered expectations.
“Of course I want to win this tournament, like every tournament, but especially when it’s at home,” Raducanu said ahead of her first-round match against the Spaniard Cristina Bucsa. “But my expectations are pretty low because I played points for the first time today, and I’ve had maybe two or three days on the grass courts, so it’s not been much.”
When asked if she was concerned about the injury affecting her grass-court season overall, Raducanu replied, “I can’t really predict the future, and how it’s going to be. I know I’ve been managing my back for the last few weeks now. It’s something that comes and goes.”
The young star described the frustration of dealing with the injury, which hindered her performance in Strasbourg’s second-round match and affected her first-round appearance at the French Open. “But I try not to let it get to me. I just have to manage it and take care of it when things happen,” she added.
Raducanu faces a strong lineup at Queen’s Club, which features top players such as the reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen, and Australian Open winner Madison Keys. Despite the challenging competition, Raducanu’s preparations received a boost when her former coach Nick Cavaday returned temporarily to assist with training while her main coach, Mark Petchey, remains at the French Open.
“I’m happy to see Nick healthy, first of all,” Raducanu said. “It’s been a long time since we were last on court together in Australia, and Mark is in Paris commentating. Nick was around, and it is nice to have a few days with him.”
The new WTA 500 tournament at Queen’s Club boasts enhanced prize money of £1 million (approximately $1.4 million), though this remains about half the amount awarded at the men’s ATP 500 event scheduled to start next week. When asked about the difference in prize money between the men’s and women’s tournaments, Raducanu chose not to engage in the debate.
“There is obviously a big difference, and I’m sure a lot of players will say their piece on it, but I prefer not to kind of get involved,” she said. “Whatever the situation is, I’ll kind of roll with it, but I’m never really going to take a stand either way.”
Similarly, she declined to comment on the Lawn Tennis Association’s goal to achieve equal prize money at Queen’s by 2029, explaining, “I don’t really get involved or stay in the loop with all the boards and all the decisions and stuff. I just get on with it.”
Raducanu emphasized that money is not her main motivation when competing. “I don’t feel like I really am playing for money. Of course, I need to sustain my team, which is extremely expensive. And with my kind of profile, coaches and team members see that. So it is a very expensive sport, but it’s not my motivation when I play.”
Reflecting on her childhood, Raducanu recalled visits to Queen’s Club with her father, although she admitted that as a child she was more interested in hunting for brownies than watching tennis. Now, however, she is thrilled that women are finally back competing at Queen’s after a gap of more than five decades.
“To be playing here is amazing. It’s the first time there’s been a women’s event for a very long time,” she said. “It’s going to be great to be playing on home turf with a good crowd.”
In addition to singles, Raducanu will make only her second appearance in a WTA doubles tournament, partnering fellow Briton Katie Boulter. The two have previously played together in Billie Jean King matches.
“It’ll be extremely special,” Boulter said. “Obviously, she’s a great player, and I’m looking forward to having the first of many more.”
