HEADS YOU LOSE
Top psychologist fears Raducanu’s physical woes may be all in the mind
EMMA RADUCANU’S ongoing physical injury issues may also be in her head according to a top British sports psychologist.
The US Open champion has been plagued by problems since winning at Flushing Meadows last year, with her Wimbledon build-up badly disrupted.
She is missing this week’s Eastbourne International having also sat out last week’s Birmingham Classic after being hurt at the Nottingham Open. The 19-yearold’s mid-match withdrawal there with a side issue was her third retirement in four months.
The injuries have been put down to the jump in physical demands since joining the professional tennis circuit, but leading mind coach Don Macpherson believes stress is also a contributing factor for the poster girl of British tennis.
“I’m not saying she is making these injuries up – they are real for sure – but they are almost certainly also anxiety-related,” said Macpherson, who works with former Wimbledon champion-turnedcoach Pat Cash among a client list across tennis, Formula One, rugby union, golf and snooker. “Pressure is a privilege but at the moment it isn’t for Raducanu. I have studied body language and I would say she doesn’t look relaxed, she seems to have something on her mind.
“To me it looks as though her mind does not trust her body, and when the mind and body are not in sync it is impossible to be at your very best, whatever the challenge.
“If there is a problem within the mind it will affect the body, and equally if there is a physical problem then the mind will be unable to focus 100 percent on the task in hand.
“Anxiety tightens the body up.
“I’ve had this in racing drivers who get strange injuries near a big race or upset tummies.
“Reducing mental pressure, especially near big tournaments, will give her body a better chance of dealing with the physical stress.”
Raducanu is having to deal with her issues without the support of a fulltime coach having already burned through three inside a year. Macpherson believes she needs to sort out her support network.
“The researchers have concluded that one of the main causes of a psychosomatic disorder is a chaotic lifestyle,” he added. “And Raducanu’s lifestyle is pretty chaotic.”