Emma Raducanu is confident that she can realize her potential to become one of the top athletes in her sport after securing the services of renowned strength and conditioning coach Yutaka Nakamura on a full-time basis ahead of the 2025 season.
"I believe he will assist me in truly discovering how far I can push my athletic limits," Raducanu stated. "There's a significant aspect of my strength that I haven't yet tapped into. I feel I have the potential to be among the best tennis players out there, and I'm eager to see how much I can achieve. I believe he will be instrumental in that journey. The way I'm collaborating with him and Nick [Cavaday, her coach] is much more cohesive."
Raducanu officially brought Nakamura on board following a trial period, and they have been gearing up for the upcoming season together at the LTA National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, London. Nakamura's impressive resume includes working with top players like Maria Sharapova and Naomi Osaka during their championship runs. This move marks a crucial advancement for the 2021 US Open champion, who has faced a series of injury setbacks since her breakthrough victory. By hiring her own dedicated personnel, she aims to focus exclusively on her fitness throughout the year.
"He will be a constant presence with me next year," she noted. "I'm genuinely excited about it. I think it's beneficial because we share a similar work ethic; we are both very focused when we work. There's no idle chatter; it's all about concentrating on the task at hand."
Raducanu is already looking forward to the new season, planning to head to Australia on Thursday to wrap up her preseason training in Brisbane. She intends to kick off the 2025 season with appearances in Auckland and Adelaide, contingent on ranking entry cutoffs, before the first major tournament of the year at the Australian Open.
"On the practice court, I feel incredible," Raducanu shared. "I'm moving freely, diving around the court, but match play is different. I participated in a few matches at the [Billie Jean King] Cup, and I felt strong. I recovered well and didn't tire during the matches. It will be interesting to see how I handle higher levels of competition and consecutive matches."
Source link: https://www.theguardian.com
