"Extreme and different"- Emma Raducanu gets honest about the struggles of switching from clay to grass

Emma Raducanu has shared her thoughts on switching from clay to grass this month. She’s currently competing at the Queen’s Club Championships in London.

Raducanu entered London after a second-round exit in Paris. She started her campaign with a solid win against Wang Xinyu but couldn't make her mark against Iga Swiatek.

The Brit opened up about the difficulty of quickly adjusting to grass courts. She mentioned how important it is to find rhythm on the new surface after playing on clay.

"It's hard to kind of think that I've done well as well, you know. I think you're just so focused on what you're doing and where you want to try and get to that you lose sight of, you know, the positive improvements that you've also made," Emma Raducanu said.

"And for me, playing a full clay court season is something that I haven't actually done before properly and now I'm starting to realize the transition from clay to grass and how extreme and different it is because, yeah, in the last few years I've just had banks of time to kind of transition and now, you know, with just a few days on the grass it does feel new, it does feel different and I need to try and find my feet on this surface now," she added.

The 22-year-old has made a hot and cold start to the season by amassing a quarterfinal run in Miami and a fourth-round appearance in Rome. She also made it to the third round of the Australian Open but lost to Iga Swiatek in straight sets.

Raducanu has already begun her campaign on grass, taking part in the doubles event at the Queens Club Championships. She partnered alongside Katie Boulter and defeated Fang-Hsien Wu and Xinyu Jiang in the first round.

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"I'm someone who cares about what people think" - Emma Raducanu on dealing with criticism ahead of Queens Club Championships

Emma Raducanu at the HSBC Championships - Day One - Source: Getty

Emma Raducanu will take on Cristina Bucsa in the first round of the Queen's Club Championships. She trails the head-to-head against the Spaniard 0-1.

Raducanu has had to deal with heavy criticism in the past few years after failing to win a title. She spoke about maturing as a player and looking on the brighter side on tour.

Here's what the youngster said in an interview with BBC:

"I've definitely noticed a difference in how people are watching my back when I'm on the site. I'm obviously wary when I go out. I try not to be careless about it because you only realise how much of a problem it is when you're in that situation and I don't necessarily want to be in that situation again.

"But off the court right now, I feel good. I feel pretty settled. I feel like I have good people around me and anything that was kind of negative I'm just like trying to brush it off as much as I can."

The Brit mentioned that it was difficult to handle criticism:

"But it does not necessarily come naturally. When you see those negative headlines, especially, it is really hard. I'm someone who cares what people think and what people say. So it is not easy for me to deal with."

Raducanu reached the fourth round of the Wimbledon Championships last year. She will be eager to prepare well this time around and do well in London.