Emma Raducanu says she is always ready to "do things a little bit differently" as she prepares for the US Open. (More Tennis News)
The 21-year-oꦑld is set to play just her seco𝕴nd match at Flushing Meadows since winning the grand slam as a teenage qualifier in 2021.
She will face American Sofia Kenin in the first round, witꦑh Jessica Pegula a potential secoꦆnd-round opponent if she gets through.
Raducanu has only played one tournament since being knocked out in the fourth round at Wimbledon, opting to miss the Olympics, as she continues to ease herself back int🌟o regular action after her long injury lay-off.
She reached the quarter-final🎶s in Washington, going out to eventual champion Paula Badosa, but chose not to play in Toronto before deciding against qualifying for Cincinnati.
"I really wanted to play in Toronto, especially because I was born ther🉐e, but the turnaround was too tight for qualifying," she told 💃BBC Sport.
"I would ꦬhave had to play on Sunday, and I finished [in Washington] late Friday night, so flying there and adjusting, I just felt was too tight.
"Otherwise, I just 𝓰always do things a little bit differently.
"[In Cincinnati] I would have pretty much had to wait around just for one tournament in ꦏqualies and then another week off before the US Open - so I think it was a better decision we aꦬll made to just go back and work on things there."
Meanwhile, Na💛omi Osaka is hoping familiar surroundings will help to boost her confidence after a tough run in 2024.
Since returning from a 15-m༺onth maternity brea𒊎k in January, Osaka has struggled to recapture her top form, and in her most recent outing in Cincinnati, she was knocked out in the second round of qualifying.
Having won the US Open in 2018 and 2020, the 26-year-old be꧒lieves being back in the city she grew up in will help her find her footing.
"I feel like, throughout the year, I 𝓰have had really hard matches, and it kind of dipped my confidence a little," Osaka told reporters on Saturday.
"I do think coming to this s🌊pecific tournament h♛elps me out. But also, whenever I step foot here, I don't really think about the two tournaments I won.
"I just think about how I felt when I was a kid, because I did grow up coming here, and I have such vivid memories of watching my favourite players. It's m༺ore of a childhood nostalgia that I really enjoy."
