Emma Raducanu Faces Racket Issues at Wimbledon
LONDON (AP) — During her third-round match at Wimbledon against the world’s number one, Aryna Sabalenka, Emma Raducanu found herself grappling with a frustrating issue involving her rackets. After an intense battle that ended with a score of 7-6 (6), 6-4 under the closed roof of Centre Court, Raducanu revealed that she had to have some of her rackets re-strung, which disrupted her rhythm.
“I felt like the ball was flying. I had all my rackets strung fresh for the match, but things felt different once we started playing,” Raducanu noted.
She suspected that the closed roof might have contributed to the altered feel of the game.
“It takes about 20 minutes to get a racket re-strung, so that was definitely challenging and a bit of a source of frustration for me,”
Raducanu admitted. Despite these setbacks, she reflected on her performance and acknowledged that better execution might have made a difference rather than dwelling on those details.
Sabalenka’s Preparedness
On the other side of the court, Sabalenka noted that she had also observed the conditions changing the ball dynamics, attributing it to the increased humidity caused by the roof. The three-time Grand Slam winner highlighted the importance of preparedness, as her team always carries extra rackets strung to different tensions to avoid any disruptions during a match.
“They always have like two extra rackets with higher tension and two with lower, so you don’t have to wait for another one if something goes wrong,” Sabalenka explained, recalling a past experience at the 2023 French Open where improper racket tension hindered her performance.
“I lost that match because I didn’t have the right racket tension, and I couldn’t control the ball properly. It taught us to always be prepared with additional rackets, because you never know how you’ll feel each day,”
Sabalenka said. This encounter served as a reminder for both players about the intricacies and unpredictability of tennis.
