Raducanu ‘more comfortable’ with herself now that she is not fixated on results | Emma Raducanu

Emma Raducanu says she has become more comfortable in her skin and has learned to enjoy her career journey rather than fixate on results as she prepares to face friend Amanda Anisimova for a place in the third round of the Australian Open.

“I think I’m a lot more comfortable with myself, which helps,” Raducanu said. “I feel like I’m not necessarily trying to prove anything. I’m just doing it for myself. I feel like now I’ve come to the realization that I’m just enjoying the process of what I’m doing.

“I enjoy waking up in the morning and going to training, doing all my sessions and feeling really good about the work I put in or the challenges I overcome that day and take that and move on to the next day and just keep going and keep that level too. I think maybe in the past I’ve been very high and so low if I’ve lost, but I think now I’m not necessarily just playing for the result.”

On Tuesday, Raducanu showed her resilience as she reached the second round with a hard-fought 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2) victory over 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova despite struggling with her second serve throughout the match and finished with 15 double faults. . The victory set up a high-profile second-round clash with Anisimova, who eased to a 6–2, 6–3 victory over María Lourdes Carlé.

Over the past few years, Anisimova and Raducanu have become friends on tour, sharing a close mutual friend in Australian player Priscilla Hon. “Usually when we hang out, we don’t talk about tennis,” Raducanu said.

“I think it’s good to keep doing it. I think we will play each other many more times in the future. It’s the first time. And it will be a good match. I think she is a tough opponent. She obviously took some time out from the tour for kind of mental reasons and just to find herself again.”

While they may not discuss tennis together, their careers certainly have some similarities. Anisimova was also a teenage prodigy, reaching the semifinals of the 2019 French Open at the age of 17. However, after those early highs, she took an eight-month mental break from the sport before returning early last year.

“I think performing well at a young age definitely comes with its benefits and also some challenges,” Anisimova said. “I feel that you learn many things along the way. There are many lessons I had to learn. You grow up very quickly, but at the same time I feel like it really prepares you for your career. We both have so much ahead of us.

“I feel like when I play these slams, I handle the nerves better because I’ve been on so many big stages at a young age. I wouldn’t trade all the memories I had from when I was younger.”

Since returning to the daily tour, Anisimov has risen from No. 442 at the Australian Open last year to her current ranking of 35. As one of the cleanest ball hitters on tour, she will be extremely dangerous on Thursday.

“We took a bit of random time off at the same time I did my surgeries, but having that time away makes you realize your hunger for the sport,” Raducanu said. “I would say she came back and she did big things last year, so she’s an incredibly dangerous opponent.

“Tennis is obviously very challenging. It’s not easy. You play match after match. If you gave me the option of what to do in the morning, I would (still) wake up and choose to do the processes and the training that I is in the works. So yes, I think that’s a healthy way to look at it.”