In the spring of 2020, Iga Swiatek was entering the history books and Emma Raducanu was hitting the textbooks.
These two women, born just 18 months apart, will face each other at the French Open today and, in contemplating their fifth meeting, the British No2 recalled watching Swiatek win her first of five titles here five years ago.
Raducanu was taking a break from tennis to concentrate on her studies, and admitted to a degree of frustration as she watched her junior contemporaries thrive on the tour.
‘I did my A levels in 2021. In 2020, I didn’t play tennis for six months,’ said the 22-year-old. ‘I was watching this unfold, watching my peers do really well. I felt it was so far away, like I was kind of being held back.
‘But it fuelled a lot of fire and hunger inside of me and when I came back after an 18-month hiatus in 2021, I ended up having one of the best summers.’
That summer culminated in the US Open title, of course, but it is easy to forget this is only Raducanu’s third full season on tour. Almost every aspect of her game is a work in progress – take, for instance, the dramatic improvement on her forehand in recent weeks.
Emma Raducanu managed to edge past Wang Xinyu in the first round at Roland-Garros
The victory has set up a date with Iga Swiatek in the second round on Court Philippe Chatrier
Swiatek first won the French Open in 2020 and has won the Grand Slam the past three years
‘She’s obviously had a lot more experience, a lot more time playing tennis and competing than I have,’ said Raducanu of Swiatek.
‘I haven’t had the same exposure or level of training because of school and everything. So I feel like now I’m trying to catch up and do double time and overtime work. But it’s still a long way to go.’
Raducanu sits at No41 in the world. She is pretty consistent at dispatching those outside the top 50 and can punch up, too, with three top-10 wins over the last 12 months.
But against the truly elite players of this generation – Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff – she is yet to win a set in seven meetings.
‘I want to try and bridge the gap,’ said Raducanu. ‘In the last few weeks, I’ve done a pretty good job of improving my game and I’m looking forward to going on court and knowing I have to give my best. I have to commit. Because there’s no other way.’
Swiatek has won here for the last three years but she has never been more vulnerable. Her one-month doping ban for contaminated melatonin last year threw her off and she is yet to recover.
Her last title was here last year and she has fallen to No5 in the world, so things are not quite so hopeless as they might seem for Raducanu.
In taking to Court Philippe Chatrier for the third match of the day, Raducanu will complete the set of main Grand Slam arenas, after Rod Laver Arena, Arthur Ashe Stadium and Centre Court.
The world No5 has never been more vulnerable after her one-month doping ban last year
Raducanu only managed to win one game during her battle with Swiatek at the Australian Open in January
After criticising organisers for the lack of time allowed to lesser players to practice on the big stages, Raducanu was given half an hour to acclimatise to Chatrier yesterday.
She will hope to have coach Mark Petchey in the stands, after he missed her first round win over Xinyu Wang due to commentating duties. His family was still represented though, with daughter Myah standing courtside and giving vociferous support throughout.
‘I actually think having her there really helped – because I was like, “it’s a mini-Mark”,’ said Raducanu.
‘She’s going to hate me for saying that. I’ve got to know her well, so having her support there – and she was standing there for the whole three hours and didn’t go. I really appreciated that. She’s a great girl. Having her there definitely was like a little symbolic representation of Mark.’
Raducanu will need more than her new mascot to take down the mighty Swiatek.
