Emma Raducanu says she wants to play tennis 'as long as possible' following Ash Barty's retirement from the sport
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ByEurosport
Updated 23/03/2022 at 19:22 GMT
Emma Raducanu says she wants to play tennis "as long as possible". Ahead of the Miami Open this week, Raducanu was asked to give her thoughts on Ash Barty's sudden retirement from tennis at the age of 25. Raducanu says she wants to have a long career in the sport but can understand the benefits of taking a break. She said: "You don't need to be only tennis, tennis, tennis."
Emma Raducanu
Image credit: Getty Images
Emma Raducanu says she wants to be in tennis "as long as possible" following Ash Barty's shock retirement from the sport.
The three-time Grand Slam winner announced on Wednesday that she is leaving the sport to "chase other dreams", but retirement is not on the horizon for Raducanu.
The 2021 US Open winner says she wants to play into her 30s.
"For me, I want to be in the game as long as possible," Raducanu told reporters ahead of the Miami Open. "I’m only 19. I’ve just come on tour, which is pretty young.
"I want to be in the game till I’m in my thirties. We’ll see what happens and how long I can last, to be honest."
Barty stepped away from tennis in 2014 before coming back two years later. She then climbed the rankings to become world No. 1.
Raducanu says she can understand why it can be a good move to take a break from the sport to stay "hungry".
"If you get oversaturated with one thing, it’s not healthy with anything you do," she said.
"I feel like that just shows, if you take time off, you come back, you’re hungry, you’re ready. She basically cleaned up when she came back.
"I feel like for me, I took 18 months off in 2020. I started in 2021. Because I had that desire to really be out there on the court. I was so hungry, I feel like I had some great results last summer as well. Yeah, it just shows you don't need to be only tennis, tennis, tennis."
Raducanu has won just two matches in her first four events this year, but she says her main goal for now is to complete her first full year on the tour injury free.
She added: "It's some sort of process. All I want to do is just complete my first season on the tour in one piece.
"Doesn't matter if I lose in the first round every week, just that's the goal."
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