Emma Raducanu draws inspiration from tennis legend Andre Agassi before potential Wuhan Open return - 'It was so relatable'
By Ben McAleer
Published 20/09/2026 at 14:41 GMT+1
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Emma Raducanu has revealed that she is using a "relatable" passage of Andre Agassi's autobiography Open as inspiration to get out of her current "slump." Raducanu has endured an injury-hit year, compounded by her Wimbledon absence.
Konta reveals thing she 'admires' about Raducanu
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The 23-year-old left SW19 on the eve of the tournament wearing a protective boot and has not featured on the court since owing to a stress reaction in her right leg.
She has recently returned to the practice court at the National Tennis Centre as she steps up her return.
Raducanu was on the entry list for the WTA 1000 China Open in Beijing, which starts at the end of the month, but no longer features.
As such, she is now in line to take the court once more at the Wuhan Open in mid-October.
And Raducanu told Uniqlo, whom she is sponsored by, that she is taking motivation from Agassi to get out of her bad run of form.
The former American star's autobiography details the trials and tribulations the 56-year-old endured, particularly away from the court.
The 2021 US Open winner outlined that a particular passage struck a chord, outlining: "Open describes what Agassi was up to and how he built his career in startling detail.
"I was especially intrigued by the passage where he got out of his slump in the late 1990s by creating his own training regimen and finding his way back to the top.
"It speaks in depth about his early successes and the lows he reached perhaps as a result of them. A lot of it was so relatable."
The highlight of Raducanu's career so far was her US Open success five years ago, though she also missed the 2026 edition.
And she was asked what winning the Grand Slam was like, replying: "I was a bit stunned myself, since I was 18 at the time.
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"I’m not sure I fully understood the way this fit in with the Grand Slam. It’s led to more chances and connections than I could ever have imagined.
"It’s like a dream, though the expectations and the judgement have got more and more intense. At times it’s been a heavy load.
"I’ve learned all kinds of things and I’m much stronger than before. I’m still growing, of course. I guess you could say I’ve gained the power to face whatever’s coming next."
By missing the China Open, Raducanu is now expected to drop out of the top 100 of the WTA rankings, which means she would have to go through qualifiers to make the Australian Open at the beginning of 2027.
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