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Emma Raducanu believes she will be 'dangerous opponent for anyone' at Australian Open - 'Back myself to the hills'

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One of the pitfalls of missing a lot of action within a tennis season is having to play without a seeding at tournaments the year after, and therefore play tougher opponents. That is something that Emma Raducanu will have to deal with at the start of 2025, but she isn't concerned. Speaking at the Australian Open, Raducanu said she thinks she can be a threat for anyone right now.

‘Ready to give it my best’ – Raducanu confident ahead of the Australian Open

Video credit: SNTV

Emma Raducanu is backing herself to impress at the Australian Open, saying that she feels she can be a "dangerous opponent" for anyone.

Raducanu has been drawn against the 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round in Melbourne and is currently ranked 60th in the world.

The British star has been hampered in her preparation for the first Grand Slam of the season due to a back spasm but said she was optimistic about her fitness levels.

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"I had a really good block of training in London before the Billie Jean King Cup and after the tie, pretty much going straight back into it," she said.

"Just one morning I was warming up, bent over to tie my laces, and I had a spasm. That was really it. It took a while to clear.

"I've had them before, they've usually settled within a few days but this one niggled for a couple weeks. I had to miss quite a bit of training before I left and wasn't able to play Auckland.

"Now I'm feeling good and feel like I can give it my best here, do good training and continue with that."

When asked specifically about her draw – she could face Iga Swiatek in round three – and facing a seed in Alexandrova first, Raducanu maintained her confidence.

"I mean, it's a tricky draw, of course, being unseeded, you can play any top opponent. She's a player with a lot of experience," she said.

"I guess I'm coming in with the underdog mentality, she's been in this situation many more times than I have, I back myself to the hills.

"I feel like I'm in a good place with how I'm approaching my tennis, how I'm feeling on the court."

Raducanu also stressed that she didn’t really feel concerned that she will have to play a lot of tennis against higher-ranked opponents because she didn’t play that many tournaments in 2024.

"I feel like 'would have, should have, could have' is just something that doesn't really exist in sport in general," she said.

"I know that whenever I play any top opponent, with the way that I'm feeling on the practice court right now - I was practicing with top-10 players, feeling pretty good out there - I think I can be a dangerous opponent for anyone really.

"I think you have to have that belief as a player. It's not really worth going on court if you don't believe you can win."

The former US Open champion also had warm words for Melbourne and Australia as a venue.

"I love playing in Australia, I love playing Down Under," she added.

"In London it's snowing, it's really cold. We get to escape the winter a little bit, get some winter sun. That actually makes a big difference to how I feel.

"When you wake up in the morning, in the evenings, it's still light outside. It does put a twist, enhances my mood, I'd say.

"As for playing in Australia, I think the people here are very funny, there's good humour, good banter. It's somewhere where you can kind of dish it out as well and not be afraid. I think the whole thing, I feel very comfortable."

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