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Emma Raducanu copying Andy Murray as Brit turns to another ex-pro after 'feeling guilty'
Reach Daily Express | January 18, 2026 8:39 AM CST

Emma Raducanu has turned to one of Andy Murray's old rituals to "zone out" ahead of her Australian Open campaign. The British No.1 has taken up hot yoga, something three-time Major winner Murray turned to early in his career to help his performance.

Ahead of her opening match in Melbourne, No.28 seed Raducanu said: "I am loving doing things for myself off the court. I think that's really helpful. I'm doing hot yoga. Found actually two different studios, one in Perth, one in Hobart. That's been my little getaway escape, and my 60 or 90 minutes to myself where I just zone out.

"So that's been actually a really fun thing that I've started this year. And I'll probably try and find studios wherever I go in the world to try and do that. I knew he did it. I think it's great for heat and acclimatising, because I spent the whole of the winter in London and then coming out to Australia, it was a lot hotter.

"But I didn't really start it for that. I kind of started it more just like to loosen up. I love the heat. And it was so cold in London. It was like a bit of a little escape. And then I just loved how I felt afterwards. And I think mentally for me, it's a great tool."

And Raducanu is looking to another retired legend for inspiration ahead of the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, reading Andre Agassi's memoir. Raducanu, 23, added: "At the moment, I'm actually reading Open, by Agassi. I've been recommended it a lot, and I really enjoy the way that it's been written so colloquially as well.

"And do you feel like you can read it at such a fast pace because it's a really fast-paced kind of book. So I'm enjoying that one, and almost finished. I think it's really interesting his story as well, learning about his childhood and how he got into it, and his parents, and the whole journey. I'm at the part where he's kind of starting to not love it as much.

"But I think there's so many lessons that when you're feeling a particular way, it's not just you. Even the greatest players of all time have felt a similar way, and it's how they deal with it Sometimes you might have thoughts of lacking a bit of motivation or and you feel guilty about it, and you're like, maybe I'm the only one, but you see everyone else also has the same problems. Just no one speaks about it.

"I would love to speak to him. I think any of these top pros and people who have been at the top of the game, I would love to hear what they have to say, and after reading his story, I would love to kind of ask him questions about certain parts. So that would be something really cool that I would love to do."

Raducanu faces Mananchaya Sawangkaew in Sunday's night session match on Margaret Court Arena - a fast turnaround after losing in Hobart on Thursday.

"It's very difficult," she said of the schedule. "You would love to have more time in the environment, more time practising, but I guess I was pretty much handed the schedule to try and turn it around and make the most out of what is in front of me."


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