"It's really hard to fully open up to other players," Raducanu discusses her relationship with WTA tour colleagues
Emma Raducanu aims to keep her momentum going in Washington. After a solid victory over Marta Kostyuk in the first round (7-6, 6-4), the Brit will face Naomi Osaka for a spot in the quarterfinals against Maria Sakkari.
The world No. 46 was asked in a press conference after her match against the Ukrainian about the nature of her relationships with other players. She admitted she doesn’t have many close friends on the WTA tour before shifting focus to her upcoming match against Osaka.
"I think when we're on tour, it’s really hard to fully open up to the other players we’re competing against. Personally, I have a few friends on tour, but it adds an extra emotional layer when you have to face them.
I have real friends back home whom I trust and can talk to, but aside from that, I find it harder to play a match on tour against someone you consider a friend. For example, Naomi (Osaka) and I have never really spoken.
When I won the US Open, I was ranked 200th in the world—I was nobody. Naomi had already been established among the best players for a long time, with a solid foundation that allowed her to win four Grand Slams.
For me, when I won, it came out of nowhere. I didn’t feel like one of the tour’s surefire stars. But I still think we have some things in common, even if we’ve never talked about it.
I’d say we both started appreciating the development process more after going through tough periods, even if for different reasons.
I think it’s great that after experiencing highs and lows, we’re both working really hard to climb back up," Raducanu told *The Tennis Gazette* ahead of her match against the Japanese player this Thursday in the U.S. capital.
Washington 
