Emma Raducanu working with chiropractor who fixes horses as she overcomes US Open hurdle

Emma Raducanu revealed she has added a travelling chiropractor who works with horses and F1 drivers to her team after racing to her first win at the US Open since her 2021 triumph.

The British No.1 needed only 62 minutes to beat world No.130 Ena Shibahara in the Louis Armstrong Arena. And sitting in her player box was Frenchman Dr Jerome Poupel who has previously worked with Tony McCoy and David Coulthhard.

"He said that my character is similar to a horse," laughed Raducanu. "They can be quite stubborn, dig their heels in."

The world No.36 explained: "He's been helping me for the last year, I would say. I've had back problems for the last year, so he's just really helped with that. As I've been playing more tennis and training more, it's just important for me to stay on top of that. It's cool, you know, he's worked in F1, he's worked with horses, so it's very different. But I'm just enjoying having him around. He's a great calm but eccentric kind of character.

"Will he travel regularly? I'm not sure. He was at Wimbledon, and it went pretty well. So the body feels good, feel clear. So I'm happy to have him here in America. He just arrived and I'm looking forward to to just continuing, really doing day to day. He is just a great character. Very smooth, smooth talking. Just a lot of fun to be around."

Raducanu is a big motorsport fan and follows Formula 1.

"With the racing drivers they have to react at such high speed, with so much force going through their bodies," she said. "For me, I've always kind of been curious about that, and asked him about that and reaction time.

"We haven't necessarily got to work on it, and I don't know what he can help me with to do that, but it's something that I want to improve my reaction times. And what better way than someone who's worked with F1 drivers, I've just not spent enough time with him to do that."

The Bromley-based star, whose Chinese zodiac animal is the horse as she was born in 2002, added: "He said that my character is similar to a horse. Can be quite stubborn, dig their heels in. He's got experience. Hopefully he can read me. And also they kind of wear their emotions on their sleeves.

"If they're not feeling like they want to do something they probably won't do it I'm just happy to have him around. He's got so much different, diverse experience that it's great to have that insight."