Raducanu rates her clay-court credentials
Emma Raducanu declared she "could be a great clay-court player" ahead of her French Open debut at Roland Garros.
US Open winner Raducanu only made her professional clay-court debut in April, managing a straight-sets victory over Storm Sanders in Stuttgart, before quarter-final elimination to world No.1 Iga Swiatek.
The 19-year-old Briton followed that up with a Round of 16 appearance in Madrid, where she was defeated by Anhelina Kalinina, struggling with a back injury.
Raducanu, speaking ahead of the second Major of the year, suggested she has the credentials to succeed on clay courts.
"I could be a great clay-court player, like looking forward, long, medium-term, in a few years where I have definitely developed more robustness and I'm able to repeat the same shots over and over," she said.
"I think I have definitely come a long way and probably progressed faster than expected in the last few weeks and I really am enjoying the clay. I really believe that I can be good and faster than I thought it would be."
World No.12 Raducanu retired in Rome last week while trailing against Canadian Bianca Andreescu because of a recurring back issue.
However, she confirmed she will be fit to feature in Paris, where she meets a qualifier in the first round.
"I'm learning about my body, but I'm very happy to be continuing my preparations for the French Open and to be able to play this tournament and fortunately I didn't have to miss this Grand Slam," Raducanu added.
"That is definitely a really positive thing because I really look forward to these big moments and the big tournaments.
"After Rome, I definitely had to slow down, but this week I have been training and luckily being able to practise all of the shots.
"I'm looking forward to continuing that, and it feels good to be able to move freely and just like run around. It's quite fun. I have been preparing as normal the last few days."
If Raducanu can negotiate past her first-round clash, she will then take on Aliaksandra Sasnovich or Wang Xinyu before a potential Round of 16 meeting with in-form Ons Jabeur, who first has to get past Poland's Magda Linette.
