Emma Raducanu’s second-round match at the Australian Open will pit her against a friend who also knows the pitfalls of teenage stardom. Amanda Anisimova first reached the fourth round at Melbourne Park six years ago as a 17-year-old and made the semi-finals of the French Open and quarter-finals of Wimbledon before it all became too much and she stepped away for mental health reasons during 2023.
At the same time, Raducanu was off the tour following wrist and ankle surgeries, and both women will be looking to take another step back towards the top of the game with victory on Thursday. It will be a first competitive meeting, but they have practised together and spend time together away from the court.
Raducanu can understand why Anisimova felt the need to step away, telling the PA news agency: “We coincidentally took time off at the same time, me for my surgeries, but having that time away does make you realise your hunger for the sport. “I would say she came back and she did great things last year, so she’s an incredibly dangerous opponent. Tennis is obviously very challenging. It’s not easy. You play match after match.
“But, for me, I love it, and I think the process right now and how I’m operating, I’m not taking joy from just winning matches or losing. Any mistakes I've made in the past, it's just feedback for what I'm going to avoid or continue doing in the future.
