10 Minutes With Emma Raducanu
All products on this page have been selected by our editorial team, however we may make commission on some products.
What Time Do You Wake Up & What's The First Thing You Do?
I only recently discovered this early bird thing – you know, where you wake up early and feel productive! So lately I've been waking up about 7am – which feels earlier than it actually is in this weather. It's tough to get out the door right now. I wake up a lot during the night and my hydration always takes a hit overnight – I'm an athlete, so I need to keep on top of that to perform properly during the day. You’ll always find a big bottle of evian next to my bed, so the first thing I do is normally have a big glug of water! Yeah.
Are You A Coffee Person In The Morning?
I love coffee. I don't even drink it for the caffeine – it's just the taste and the smell. My go-to order is a soy-milk cappuccino with extra froth. The froth is the most important part; I even travel with my own milk frother! I have quite a lot of coffee throughout the day, but at a certain point I have to switch to decaf. I’m not sure caffeine massively affects me, but I can’t take any risks. As an athlete, balance is so important.
Tell Us What Your Typical Training Schedule Looks Like…
Most days start with what we call muscle activation with my physio. It’s common to wake up feeling stiffer or tighter in some places, and it's nice to get someone to loosen that off for you – they can do it better as they know what they're doing. Afterwards I do an actual physical warm-up and then my session, whether that's tennis or in the gym. For the last two months, I’ve been focusing more on the gym. Then it’s time for lunch, followed by another warm-up and more training. At the end of the day, it’s all about recovery and treatment, both of which become more important the more hours you put into your training.
How Does Your Schedule Differ During A Tournament?
On match days I probably pay more attention to everything I’m doing, especially leading up to and around the match. They’re the absolute priority. I’m definitely more on it with my hydration and maybe the level of physical training comes down a bit – it’s less about hitting with a partner or going to the gym, and more about staying fresh and ready.
What Is It You Love So Much About Tennis?
I love working hard – it doesn't matter what it is, be it school or tennis, I just love the feeling of pushing myself to the max. That feeling when you think you're at your limit and then you push a little bit further. The gains you get are so, so worth it. It gives me such satisfaction. Also, the competitive element. I'm very competitive and when it's close, when no one really knows what's going to happen – the suspense, the adrenaline… It’s addictive.
What Are The Most Important Sort Of Health & Wellness Tips You've Picked Up?
Probably to prioritise a bit of time to just be on my own – that’s probably counts more as ‘self-care’ but I quite like that. I can be extroverted sometimes, but I like having my alone time. Sleep is also a big thing for me. The last couple of years have been so busy and my sleep schedule has suffered a bit. So yes, sleep, alone time and hydration – evian [water] is a crucial part of my wellness routine; whether I'm working out, on the go travelling or simply at home, it's part of my self-care ritual.
How Do You Switch Off At The End Of The Day?
I love a bath and I like to read in there, too. Even though I’ve finished my A Levels now, I like to keep my brain quite active. Bath time is also when I watch TV or Netflix – I find I don’t get much spare time to do that otherwise. People always ask what I’m watching but it’s usually quite obscure. Right now I’m really into these different Chinese shows because I’m trying to improve my Mandarin! As for books, I recently finished The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma which is about this laywer searching for the meaning of life. I like non-fiction books best. I also like talking to my friends – not so much on the phone, but I’m a big texter.
You’ve Travelled The World Already – Do You Have A Favourite City?
I loved Singapore and just traveling around Asia generally. Singapore is massive and a very cool, lively place. Everything is very close and condensed too, which is great. I also really enjoyed Seoul. I went there recently and the technology is so advanced, it’s crazy. Then, of course, New York is one of my favourite cities. It always has been even since I was a junior. As for my travel bucket list, my number one destination would be Tokyo. I love Japanese food and fashion – it would be so exciting to go there.
Do You Have A Favourite Hotel?
Probably the Peninsula in New York. When I was playing the 2021 US Open, I stayed in room 1600 from the beginning of qualifying. I think they were expecting us to be out of there pretty quickly, but we ended up camping out for three full weeks there. When I won, they upgraded me to the Peninsula Suite – honestly, that room is incredible! But my favourite thing about any hotel is the breakfast. There’s nothing like a hotel breakfast. Maybe it’s basic, but I always go for avocado toast with smoked salmon and eggs with some grilled mushrooms. I recently tried this roasted pepper, smashed avocado, salmon and pesto combo on toast – it was so good.
What Are Some Of Your Top Beauty Must-Haves?
Dior’s La Mousse is one that I always take with me on the road. Keeping my skin fresh and clean, even just after training, is so important. I don’t want any of that build-up left on my face. I also love Dior’s Addict lipsticks; I don’t wear a lot of make-up day to day but a bit of colour on your lips can make all the difference. Sometimes I dab it on my cheeks too. Finally, SPF is crucial if you’re an athlete playing outdoors. I’m in the sun a lot, so I want take care of that from a young age.
If We Looked In Your Hand Luggage, Is There Something We’d Always Find In There?
My Kindle – I always read on flights because I like disconnecting. Then probably some noise-cancelling headphones and some sunglasses. I really have a bit of an addiction to sunglasses!
Any Favourite Designers Or Brands?
I’ve been lucky enough to work with Dior and Maria Grazia Churi, who I've met a few times and she's so nice. I also like that she's all about feeling comfortable and having casual stuff in your wardrobe that you can wear day to day. Nike is probably another one because I'm always in tennis clothes and don't go out very often! That said, I think they’re the masters at making the sporty stuff just look a bit cooler. I’m also into quite masculine pieces – you’ll often find me wearing a men's polo and tennis shorts.
Looking Back Now, What Have Been Your Highlights Of 2022?
Professionally speaking, I’m very proud of my resilience this year. I've faced quite a bit of adversity and I’ve had to keep getting back up a lot. So much stuff is said about me that isn’t true, but I try not to let it affect me. The past year has meant getting used to that side of things – the publicity and hearing all these things I never even knew about myself! The attention on the tour is so intense.
Personally, I love Formula One and, while I didn’t get to Silverstone this year, I did go to two races at Brands Hatch with Porsche and the final of the Carrera Cup. There, I got to do a lap in the safety car, which was a 911.
Do You Make New Year's Resolutions?
I can’t quite believe we’re at that stage again – the last 12 months have gone so fast. My biggest goal in 2023 is to be more injury free. I just want to stay healthier for longer. This year, the demands of the tour, going from having no training or stamina to being thrown into competing at the top level, my body has struggled. So, I'll be working hard to keep my body in good shape and improving. If you want a ‘resolution’ it’s probably to be consistent. Put in the work, day in, day out.
Finally, Where Can We Expect To See You Playing Next?
Everything's wrapping up in terms of tour finals and things like that, but I'm going to Abu Dhabi for an exhibition match on December 16th. It’s not an actual tournament but I’ve been out of the game for two months with a wrist injury, so it’ll be interesting to see where I’m at with that. As I said, I've been doing a lot of gym work, so it'll just be a great way to get back into the sport before the season officially begins. In the New Year, I'll be in Auckland before the start of the Australian Open.
Emma Raducanu will continue to be evian’s Global Brand Ambassador in 2023, staying hydrated and rejuvenated with its natural mineral water both on and off the court. Discover more about evian’s new sparkling water on Evian.com.
DISCLAIMER: We endeavour to always credit the correct original source of every image we use. If you think a credit may be incorrect, please contact us at info@sheerluxe.com.
All products on this page have been selected by our editorial team, however we may make commission on some products.