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Emma Raducanu believes she has “nothing to lose” as she prepares for her Australian Open third round match against former world number one Iga Swiatek .
Raducanu overcame back problems to defeat the strong Amanda Anisimova 6-3 7-5 to reach the last 32 in Melbourne for the first time.
The 22-year-old returns to the third round of a hard-court Grand Slam for the first time since winning the 2021 U.S. Open.
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After overcoming back problems, Raducanu beats Amanda Anisimova 6-3 7-5
“I love it. It’s another opportunity to test my game,” Raducanu said ahead of Saturday’s match against world No. 2 Swiatek.
“I think obviously she (Swiatek) has accomplished so much and I think going into it, I have nothing to lose. I’m just going to swing. I’m going to give it my all and I can’t wait to compete in front of you guys.
“She’s a top player and she’s been very consistent over the last few years. So it’s going to be a game for me and I feel like I don’t expect a lot from the outside.
Raducanu celebrates after defeating Anisimova in second round match in Melbourne
“I think you always put pressure on yourself to perform to the best of your ability and that doesn’t really change but it’s every game.
“I’m looking forward to getting out there and testing my game against the best, because at the end of the day, you play tennis and you live for these matches. It’s going to be an adrenaline rush.”
Raducanu stressed that she will prepare for the meeting with the Pole, who beat Slovak Rebecca Sramkova 6-0 6-2 on Thursday, in a relaxed manner.
Swiatek will be the highest-ranked player Raducanu has faced in a Grand Slam, and she has yet to win a set in three matches against her.
“I thought I might take it easy (Friday),” she said. “I might take a slight hit. Nothing crazy.
“I played a lot of tennis today and two days ago, so I don’t think I need to overdo it on the practice court. Just keep the body going a little bit and really recover.”
Swiatek is 59 places above Raducanu in the world rankings but said: “There is no point looking at rankings, especially when you have these great players who have played in great tournaments and won some Contest.
“You know they can play well.”
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