Raducanu discounts Dubai drama in California loss

Emma Raducanu absorbed a 6-3, 6-2 opening loss at the Indian Wells Masters to Moyuka Uchijima on Thursday but said her recent Dubai stalking incident was not preying on her mind.

The Brit who was intimidated by a stalker fan last month in the UAE  which resulted in a restraining order against the man, said her mind was strictly on business during her Californian desert defeat.

“I didn’t have what happened in Dubai in my head at all today,” the 2021 US Open champion, now ranked 55th, said.

“(It was) a lack of preparation on the tennis court, playing someone who played pretty good in these conditions, It was extremely awkward in the wind here.”

Raducanu is also trialling another new coach, though she and 49-year-old Slovak Vlado Platenik only began their collaboration a day before her match. 

“You have to just overcome whatever hurdles that come your way and just keep going forward,” Raducanu said of her defeat.

After reaching the Australian Open third round in January, the British no. 2 has played six matches, winning one in Dubai.

“It was tough conditions, and a difficult ball from my opponent,” she said. “I tried to be aggressive, I tried to make the ball. 

“But I guess it didn’t work today.”

The 22-year-old remains optimistic that the latest in her revolving door of coaches will be a keeper.

“A lot has happened since Australia. It’s good that I have someone who is very experienced here. 

“We’ll see how the work goes and how we get on as well on and off the court and the methods and everything.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how it goes. I just need to keep trying to put one foot in front of the other and not look back too much.”