Emma Raducanu marked her first appearance on the grass court in 713 days with a win at the Nottingham Open. The former US Open champion comfortably defeated Ena Shibahara 6-1, 6-4 to march into the second round in Nottingham. This tournament will prove to be important for the Brit, as she aims to get back to form ahead of the Wimbledon Championships.

After announcing herself to the Wimbledon faithful in 2021, Emma Raducanu has fallen off. The 21-year-old has been hampered by injuries and dropped down the WTA rankings with her inconsistent performances. However, the Brit is now injury-free and raring to go at her home Grand Slam.

Emma Raducanu’s inconsistent form on grass

Emma Raducanu has struggled on the grass court in her short career. The former US Open champion grew up playing on the grass in the UK but has failed to make any major impact on the surface so far. Raducanu has played 22 matches on grass so far in her career, winning 11 and losing 11.

The Brit has a win percentage of 50 on grass courts, which is her worst among all the other surfaces. Now, with a win after 713 days on her least preferred surface, Raducanu will be keen to add more wins to improve her record on grass.

Raducanu impressed during her debut Wimbledon campaign as she made her way to the fourth round of the competition in 2021. The young Brit recorded impressive wins against Vitalia Diatchenko and Marketa Vondrousova. The latter won the title in 2023. The impressive Wimbledon campaign in 2021 was followed by a lackluster 2022 run when Raducanu lost in the second round against Caroline Garcia.

What to expect from Emma Raducanu during the grass swing in 2024?

Emma Raducanu has started her preparation for the Wimbledon by competing at the Nottingham Open 2024. The Brit star would hope to go deep into the tournament as she aims for her first title win since the US Open title in 2021.

After Nottingham, Raducanu could compete at the Berlin Ladies Open 2024. The WTA 500 tournament will have top women’s players competing as they prepare for the grass season. Last year, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, and Elena Rybakina were all in action in Berlin.

Competing against the top WTA stars in the world will be crucial for Emma Raducanu ahead of the Wimbledon. The Brit needs to spend time on the court and gain some match practice if she is to stand the challenge of the Grand Slam title in London. The Berlin Ladies Open and the Bad Homberg Open will be the last bit of practice before the start of the Wimbledon championships.

Raducanu has shown glimpses of her potential in the past but has yet to challenge for Major honors consistently. Now with Swiatek, Gauff, and Sabalenka being the top guns in women’s tennis, it will be interesting to see if Raducanu can claw her way back to the top. The 21-year-old will have to show consistency and play the kind of fearless tennis that propelled her to the tennis summit with a US Open title.

The Wimbledon has crowned some of the most unpredictable champions in recent times. Now, with her body responding well and the support of a buoyant home crowd, Raducanu will be keen to add her name alongside Andy Murray in the British tennis folklore with a title win at Wimbledon.