Revealed: The reason behind Emma Raducanu’s recent happy demeanour as British star admits she is relishing her Wimbledon return after the ‘horrible’ experience of not playing last year

We have seen a new Emma Raducanu over the last week or so and her friend Fran Jones explained on Friday that part of the reason was a trip to Oxford – with a view to a post-tennis degree.

Fellow British player Jones, who was drawn to face Croatia’s Petra Martic in the first round, was asked about Raducanu’s recent happy demeanour.

‘It’s just a consequence of her spending some time with me!’ she said. ‘It’s great to see her in that space.’

Raducanu took a trip with Jones to Oxford last week, and the latter explained: ‘Well, we are both pretty academic. We have a vision for the future and Oxford is definitely something we would both enjoy.

‘Tennis is consuming and it’s important you have that vision for your career afterwards because we live in a bubble.

‘For now (studying at Oxford) is obviously parked but it would be something fantastic for us both to do after.’

It was a fascinating insight into Raducanu’s broader outlook on life, which is far from typical of her fellow players. She clearly feels to have found a kindred in Jones, 23.

Raducanu returns to Wimbledon for the first time since 2022, and was handed a fairly tough opener against Russian No22 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.

The 21-year-old was at the All England Club last year but only as part of her sponsorship duties with Evian, as wrist and ankle surgeries meant she was unfit to compete.

‘It was horrible!’ she admits, when asked what it was like to be here as a non-competitor. ‘I’m just so grateful to be on the other side of it. Going to Wimbledon was really rubbing salt into the wound but I guess it was part of my obligations. I’m just very happy to be actually playing.’

Raducanu took almost two months off from competition after losing in Madrid in April and the break seems to have been exactly what she needed. Asked how she would like to come across to Wimbledon fans who have not seen her since 2022, when she was coming off an injury and lost in the second round, she replied: ‘I just really want them to see that I’m putting my personality on the court, my character, being bubbly, happy, energetic. You can really tell the difference, especially with me, when I’m in a good place compared to when I’m struggling with confidence.

‘I would say I lost a sense of who I was playing for, what I was doing. Now it’s all about: OK, I don’t really need to do anything if I don’t want to. I’m just really enjoying the sport. Part of it is doing great work with my coach.’

That coach is Nick Cavaday, a childhood mentor of Raducanu with whom she reconnected in January. Aside from a few events missed due to ill health, he has been an ever-present since then and so this is the first time Raducanu comes into Wimbledon – and, really, the first time in her career – with a settled coaching team.

‘I’m really happy with my team, my coach,’ said Raducanu. ‘Very pleased with the fitness guys at the LTA, the physio, as well and Nick. He’s made a lot of good additions to my game and it’s nice to have someone I’ve known since I was a kid. We understand each other – and not many people do understand the way I think. It’s good how we can be on the same page in a lot of conversations.

The benefits of having a settled coaching team have often been espoused in conversations about Raducanu and it is to be hoped the cycle of hire-and-fire is finally at an end.

Part of Raducanu’s recent re-set has been a shift in mindset around her US Open win in 2021, which at times has hung like an albatross around her neck.

‘I’m kind of just owning it more, like: I did that. I did the US Open,’ she said. ‘I feel like before I would look at the US Open in more of a negative light whereas now I’m like: OK, that was insane, now I can just play and keep going.

‘I feel lighter in myself. In the last two weeks it’s been a big shift in my attitude.’