‘I’ve come a long way’ – Raducanu celebrates ‘milestone moment’ with Kerber win

Emma Raducanu believes she is playing some “really good tennis” as she celebrated a “milestone moment” by beating Angelique Kerber at the Stuttgart Open.

The win came almost exactly a year after Raducanu lost by the same scoreline to Jelena Ostapenko in Stuttgart.

After that defeat, she shut down her season and underwent surgery on her wrists and ankle.

“It’s a bit of a milestone moment for me, and I just feel like I have come a long way in that year,” Raducanu said after beating Kerber.

Raducanu’s victory continued a brilliant first week on clay in 2024.

Raducanu will now be looking to reach the Stuttgart quarters when she faces Linda Noskova on Thursday.

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t tired, but I would way rather be in this position where I have played a lot of matches and I’m feeling fatigued than being super fresh and losing,” said Raducanu.

“It’s funny, because you always want something that you can’t have.

“But I am playing some really good tennis. I feel like I’m playing level-wise, I knew it before I went to Fed Cup even, like, training, I was playing really well. I think everyone that I was practicing with can attest to that too.

“I think it’s a combination of doing good practice weeks, doing the right things, I am really enjoying working with Nick [Cavaday] my coach. It’s great to have a familiar face, but we are also working really well together as a team.”

Former US Open champion Raducanu said at the Billie Jean King Cup that she feels she is “playing the best tennis” of her career at the moment.

She is 8-5 for the season and seems to be building confidence and momentum.

“I think my serve is more of a weapon now,” she said.

“I think last weekend I played some great tennis. Obviously, it wasn’t a lot of time to turn over since last weekend. Going back up again tomorrow, it’s more just a challenge of the body, I’d say, but I think I’m mentally in a good place. I’m taking a lot of confidence from the training I’m doing.

“I feel like I can actually lean on that more so now because I’m actually doing the work, whereas last year it was very difficult.”

Raducanu won her only previous meeting against Noskova, a hard-fought three-set clash at the 2022 French Open.

Noskova, 19, was impressive in beating Ostapenko in straight sets in the first round in Stuttgart and started the year by making the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.

Looking ahead to the match, Raducanu said: “I played her in a three-hour slog outdoors at the French Open. It was raining and heavy.

“I think it’s going to be a tough match of course and she’s in great form.

“She is a big hitter, big ball striker, aggressive tennis, I don’t expect very long points. It’s going to be a good match.”