British tennis star Emma Raducanu has openly criticised the French Open organisers for not providing her adequate practice time on the main courts, ahead of her much-anticipated second-round clash with defending champion Iga Swiatek.
Raducanu, who edged past China’s Wang Xinyu in a tightly contested 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 first-round victory at Roland Garros, voiced her frustration over the tournament’s court allocation policies, particularly for unseeded players like herself.
Currently not seeded due to recent struggles and injury setbacks, Raducanu has been competing on smaller outside courts and believes the lack of exposure to larger arenas puts certain players at a disadvantage.
“I honestly think it’s really difficult, because the tournament don’t really help in terms of getting you court time on the bigger courts or on like the match courts, really,” Raducanu said during her post-match press conference.
The 2021 US Open champion added that there appears to be a clear preference shown toward certain players when it comes to practice scheduling on show courts like Court Philippe-Chatrier or Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
“I feel like, I don’t know, certain players get preferred treatment. It’s very different from at the annex, for example, across the road or other courts to then kind of jump onto Chatrier or jump onto a stadium. It isn’t easy,” she said.
Raducanu also highlighted the importance of getting used to the environment of the court one will be competing on, especially in Grand Slam settings.
“I wish they would give us more opportunities on the stadium or bigger courts, especially if we’re going to play on them,” she remarked. “That would really help with adjusting to the conditions and the atmosphere.”
Despite her criticisms, Raducanu expressed appreciation for the intimacy and crowd support she experienced on the smaller courts.
“That court today, it was cute, intimate. I like you can really feel the fans and their support, because sometimes on a bigger court, if it is not full, it feels a little bit empty. There you’re right in the thick of it,” she concluded.
Raducanu now faces a formidable challenge as she prepares to meet world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the second round on Wednesday. While her complaints have sparked a broader conversation about fairness in Grand Slam scheduling, her immediate focus will be on overcoming one of the toughest opponents in the women’s game.
