Emma Raducanu has once again shed light on the mental challenges that come with life on the WTA Tour, describing tennis as a sport that can be emotionally draining due to its relentless nature. Speaking candidly, the 2021 US Open champion explained how the weekly grind of competition often leaves players grappling with disappointment more than celebration.
“It’s really difficult to take your joy from the results,” Raducanu said. “Because it’s so up and down.” Her words echo the experience of many athletes who face frequent losses despite their talent and hard work. In tennis, even top-ranked players can find themselves exiting tournaments early, making consistency elusive and emotional stability harder to maintain.
Raducanu’s own journey has been marked by highs and lows. After her historic Grand Slam win, she has battled injuries, coaching changes, and intense public scrutiny. The pressure to perform week after week, coupled with the solitary nature of the sport, has made it difficult for her to find joy purely through match outcomes.
She emphasized that the emotional rollercoaster of tennis requires players to find fulfillment beyond the scoreboard. “You’re losing almost every week,” she noted, highlighting how even the best players often fall short in tournaments that feature dozens of elite competitors.
This is what she said:
“I think tennis is a really difficult sport. You lose every week pretty much. Out of however many tournaments, 26 weeks a year, you’re pretty much losing 26 weeks a year. So that’s a really difficult concept to get your mind around.
At the same time there’s an opportunity the next week. You see the momentum in tennis, how players can go from losing.. a 5, 6, 7 match losing streak to then winning a tournament and it shifts their whole season around. It’s a mentally very challenging sport.
I think for me, what I’ve found, is trying to surround yourself with good people.. trying to win the day.. trying to focus on the process as much as possible. I think the results, it’s really difficult to kind of take your joy from the results.
Because it’s so up and down. It’s a rollercoaster. So trying to enjoy and think ‘Did I get 1% better today? Or did I maintain today?’ Because maintaining as well is a big skill. If you don’t do the right work, you can easily slip. Trying to maintain or at least get a bit better is the goal that I have, at least.”
Raducanu in Wimbledon, ranking, and results in 2025
Ranked no.40, Emma has achieved a compiled 18-13 match record in 2025. The Brit is currently having a run in Wimbledon where she conquered the world no.318 Mingge Xu 6-3 6-3 and the world no.73 Marketa Vondrousova 6-3 6-3.
Emma Raducanu will take on the world no.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the 3rd round. Their current head to head is 1-0 for Sabalenka.