Raducanu revealed during her pre-tournament press conference that the spasm occurred in London while preparing for the season. \"One morning I was warming up, bent over to tie my laces, and I had a spasm. That was really it,\" she explained. \"It took a while to clear. I've had them before. They've usually settled within a few days. But this one niggled for a couple of weeks.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The injury disrupted her preparations, forcing her to miss vital practice sessions and withdraw from her first scheduled tournament. Despite the interruption, Raducanu has made a strong recovery, bolstered by a solid block of training over the past ten days.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Raducanu\u2019s spirits have been lifted by her performances in practice matches against top players in Melbourne. \"I\u2019ve been playing sets with top players,\" she said. \"I\u2019m feeling like I\u2019m holding my own more than ok in those instances and practices. I feel pretty good about my game. I think I can be a dangerous opponent for anyone really.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Her first challenge comes in the form of a tricky opening-round draw against 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, a player with vast experience on the big stage. Raducanu acknowledged the challenge but embraced the opportunity to play with an underdog mentality. \"She\u2019s a player with a lot of experience. I guess I\u2019m coming in with the underdog mentality,\" she remarked.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
A key component of Raducanu\u2019s preparation for 2024 is her collaboration with renowned fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura. Known for his work with elite athletes, Nakamura is tasked with enhancing Raducanu\u2019s physical resilience, a critical area given her struggles with injuries over the past year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Raducanu described the process as ongoing: \"I think building a body is a continuous process. It\u2019s not something you necessarily put a timeline on. Even when you\u2019re a top athlete, there are always things you can do better.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
She already feels improvements in her physical performance, particularly in explosiveness and reactivity. \"I feel like I\u2019m quite reactive and explosive. My warm-ups aren\u2019t just warm-ups; they\u2019re more like a bit of a session. I feel just ready to go when I\u2019m on the court,\" she explained.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
While Raducanu faces her challenges, Britain\u2019s leading woman, Katie Boulter, enters the Australian Open with high hopes and rising confidence. The 22nd seed is targeting a place in the world\u2019s top 10 after an impressive start to the year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Boulter\u2019s confidence was evident in her performance at the United Cup, where she pushed world No. 2 Iga Swiatek to the limit. Reflecting on the match, she said, \"Iga is one of the best in the game. I really felt like I could have gotten over that line. That kind of mindset is going to help me win those matches.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With her focus on maintaining composure against top players, Boulter believes she can climb even higher in the rankings. \"I believe that number is by my name for a reason. I want to move it higher and higher,\" she added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Boulter\u2019s confidence was evident in her performance at the United Cup, where she pushed world No. 2 Iga Swiatek to the limit. Reflecting on the match, she said, \"Iga is one of the best in the game. I really felt like I could have gotten over that line. That kind of mindset is going to help me win those matches.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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