Emma Raducanu gives away game plan as she aims to cause biggest Wimbledon upset yet

Emma Raducanu said she will be "aggressive" and "creative" as she takes on the "massive challenge" of toppling top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the Wimbledon third round. And the British No.1, who is enjoying playing in her home Grand Slam, said: "You don't want it to end."

Raducanu has failed to take a set off Iga Swiatek in all five of their matches - three when the Pole was world No.1 - and lost 6-3 7-5 to then world No.2 Sabalenka in Indian Wells last year.

But the 2021 US Open champion, who played superbly to beat 2023 Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova, said: "I think having won today against Marketa, she's also a really top opponent, so that gives me confidence too for my level. Of course, Aryna is No. 1 in the world, been so dominant in the women's game as of the last few years.

"I know it's going to be a massive challenge. I'm going to have to play some really good tennis. You want to play the best. You are going to have to play them at some point if you want to win one of these tournaments. Even though it's early in the tournament, I'm looking forward to the opportunity."

Raducanu, who has started studying art history to escape the pressures of the day job, added: "I definitely think playing Aryna, she's No. 1 in the world for a reason. You can't really do nothing or give nothing balls to her. I'm going to have to be aggressive but pick my moments and not kind of be overly. I think you can fall into that trap, too.

"I don't think I'm going to go out there and out-power her, like, size-wise and power-wise. I think I'm going to have to try and be creative, as well. I think my ability to kind of use the slice and stay in points for longer is something I've developed in the last few months

"But I think what's going to be the real difference for me to kind of get up to the top is going to be more the aggressive side. I think more taking risks and my shots on, but calculated risks, and improving the starting point as well. Against the top girls, you really need to have a weapon on serve and also from the back. I think I'm just working on kind of trying to be more aggressive."

She will draw up her game plan with coach Mark Petchey who was not on her team when she lost to Vondrousova in Abu Dhabi in February but who has worked to improve her serve.

"I think I had a lot more clarity with what I was trying to do today," Raducanu said after her second-round win. "I think also I'm more confident in my own game.

"I think that was a really difficult patch for me at the start of the area when I didn't have a coach. I was very low in confidence. As a player, I guess you go through dips in the season when you're lacking a little bit.

"I backed myself a lot more compared to earlier in the year. I think having the direction over the last few months built over consistency really helped."

Raducanu said she played "probably the best point I've ever played" in the second set against Vondrousova after making two defensive lobs before a backhand winner. She has struggled against top players but she said: "It definitely helps I think with the grass. You get a little bit extra with the new balls. At the same time, I feel like once they're a few games in or a few long rallies in, these Slazenger balls really fluff up quite quickly and get quite heavy and slow. I think it benefits the bigger hitters because they have time to load and give it some.

"I think with grass, you get rewarded for staying in the ball a little bit extra because a nothing ball, a slice in the box, it's very tricky to kind of deal with.

"I think you are incentivised to chase one more ball down and try and scrap and get it back and turn points around."

In the build-up to her home Grand Slam, Raducanu pulled out of the Berlin Open to rest her back and received "pretty bad" personal news. She then had an "extremely difficult" opening match against Welsh teenager Mimi Xu.

"You definitely get into a routine when you're in these tournaments, and you don't want it to end. I think there's no better feeling than winning here at Wimbledon, winning on Centre Court. It honestly makes everything worth it.

"You forget about everything, all the ups and downs, and many downs when you're out there and you win. It's so fleeting. I lasts a few minutes after the match and now. Quickly you need to kind of get back in gear for the next day and the next round."

US Open champion Sabalenka is the only top-five seed left in the tournament after shock defeats for Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Jasmine Paolini and Qinweng Zheng.

After her second round win over Marie Bouzkova, she told the Centre Court crowd: "I hope there are no upsets anymore in this tournament, if you know what I mean!"

The Belarusian is on a 32-match winning streak in the first week of Majors but Bouzkova served for the first set - and was two points away - before Sabalenka stepped up her game.

"Emma is playing much better tennis since last year, I have to say," said the three-time Grand Slam champion. "She improved. You can see that she's getting back on track. Also facing British at Wimbledon, I'm not sure I prefer that. But she's playing great tennis."

And former British No.1 Annabel Croft told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I would think that would be quite worrying for Sabalenka actually because she'll be facing Raducanu at her best.

"If Raducanu can play anything close to that level again, although she may not be allowed to because Sabalenka will bring a lot of power, she will give the world No.1 a run for her money."

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