Raducanu must build tolerance to adversity, says Konta

Emma Raducanu's Wimbledon campaign is once again clouded by injury concerns, prompting former British tennis star Johanna Konta to advise the young player on building resilience.

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My opinion on Emma... it's her building, her continuing to build up her tolerance to adversity.

Konta, who reached the 2017 Wimbledon semi-finals, suggested that Raducanu's recurring physical issues might be exacerbated by the immense pressure accompanying her unexpected 2021 U.S. Open triumph. "When things aren't going well, you feel pain much more, it's much easier to feel injured," Konta explained, noting that this can happen even if a player isn't consciously seeking an "easy way out."

Raducanu, seeded 30th at Wimbledon, had shown promising form by reaching the Queen's Club final but withdrew from the Nottingham Open and cut short a practice session due to shin discomfort. She also cancelled her pre-tournament press conference, fueling worries ahead of her first-round match.

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Not in the sense that she can't handle tough times but I think when it comes to, on a day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month basis, when things aren't going well, you feel pain much more, it's much easier to feel injured.

Konta described Raducanu's career trajectory as "back-to-front" since her U.S. Open win, with much of her subsequent time spent trying to gain experience and match fitness. "I feel like there's pressure to explain away why things aren't going well," Konta said, adding that she believes stress is a significant factor behind many of the injuries.

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So I think for her, I've been really keen to see her really make peace with the difficulty of it.

Raducanu has faced a series of setbacks since her Grand Slam victory, including a post-viral illness, a back issue, and surgeries on her hands and ankle in 2023. She ended her 2023 season early due to illness.

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Since then, it's been a bit of a catch-up. She's been trying to gain experience, trying to gain match fitness, trying to gain years on tour being a Grand Slam champion.