Emma Raducanu has revealed plans to build a "better" version of herself ahead of the 2026 tennis season, which will see her utilise her brain and skill more. 

Raducanu finished the 2025 campaign as the world number 29 after playing 50 matches throughout the calendar year, the most she has managed in her entire career. 

The former US Open champion featured across 22 tournaments, ending with a season record of 28 wins to 22 losses, as well as a string of better performances in grand slams. 

Despite failing to go beyond the third round in all four majors, she produced her best campaigns at the Australian Open and Roland-Garros (both third round exits). 

Raducanu is now set for a pre-season training block in Barcelona with coach Francisco Roig as they look for further improvements heading into 2026.

"Francis wants me to focus on building a better Emma Raducanu," she told the Daily Mail. "I've always been more tactical, trying to exploit their weaknesses and be crafty.

"And it works, but the ideal is you don't have to think too much about the other player. You can just go and execute your game.

"In terms of my weapons, I don't necessarily have something that can blow someone off the court, so I have to use my skill and my brain more."

Of Raducanu's displays in 2025, arguably her most impressive was at the Miami Open, when she reached the quarter-finals before being beaten by Jessica Pegula. 

During that run in the United States, she registered her only top-10 victory of the year against Emma Navarro, though she lost 10 of her 11 such matches in 2025. 

Raducanu also reached the semi-finals of the Washington Open before losing to beaten finalist Anna Kalinskaya in straight sets. 

Though still suffering a few minor injury issues, the 23-year-old looked back on her latest campaign with pride and believes it can be a solid foundation to build on. 

"Overall, I have to be positive about the season," added Raducanu.

"It's my first year of competing and playing that much, so I'm proud of it. I am becoming more robust.

"I had never really put myself out there week to week, I would always have longer breaks. I was trying to work out what worked for me and this year was another iteration of that."