Tim Henman reveals what Emma Raducanu needs to improve

Yesterday at 05:30 PM

Emma Raducanu has shown some signs of growth in 2024, after struggling a lot to play her best tennis in the previous two seasons. The shocking triumph at the 2021 US Open changed his career and his life in general, because from that moment on, the pressure from the media and sponsors became really suffocating.

Raducanu has had a lot of difficulty getting used to her new status and some bad choices have not helped her find the right path. Emma has had several injuries in the last two years and has changed several coaches, never being able to find the serenity necessary to focus only on tennis.

The British tennis player is still very young and has plenty of time to get closer to the top positions of the WTA ranking, after hoisting herself up to number 10 in the summer of 2022 (also thanks to the points accumulated in New York the year before). Emma has had a good season, in which she has defeated several high-level opponents, reaching significant peaks that bode well for the future. However, the former world number 10 has had too many injury stops and has only played 13 official events in 2024.

The 2021 US Open champion will have to work her body during the pre-season and start 2025 in top shape. The Australian Open will be a very important test for her, who plays very well on hard courts and has the necessary weapons to achieve a prestigious result in Melbourne.

Emma's goal in 2025 will be to play more tournaments and get closer to the top positions of the WTA ranking. Raducanu wants to shine and different again on the tennis court, which is why she has learned to surround herself with the right people and work hard throughout the year.

In a recent interview with Sky Sports Tennis, former ATP ace Tim Henman talked about Raducanu’s next goals: “I think the challenge for Raducanu is around physical resilience. You talk about Katie Boulter and all the improvements that she made. Yes, she has got better as a tennis player, her movement has improved, but it’s also the resilience to be able to play that full schedule.

You saw Katie at the end of the year playing four or five tournaments in a row. She made a final in Hong Kong, at the last event of the year and finished in the top 25.

Raducanu has had a decent year going from sort of 300 into the top 60 but, when you look at the amount of tennis she’s played, she hasn’t played a great deal. If she builds up that resilience, every time she steps on the court, she was playing good tennis. Therefore, top 50, top 30 in 2025, I think is completely realistic.”

The British player will begin her 2025 in Auckland, New Zealand, before moving to Melbourne for the first Grand Slam tournament of the season. The first part of 2025 will be crucial for her ambitions, as it could allow her to build confidence ahead of the next tournaments of the season.

Emma has the time to carry out a full pre-season, in which to work well both physically and technically. Some believe that the triumph in New York in 2021 was fortunate and that Raducanu has already reached her peak, but we are convinced that she can still grow a lot and that she has not expressed his potential.

A player like Raducanu is very important for the entire WTA tour, which awaits another champion to join Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.

In 2024, Emma won 20 matches and suffered 13 losses. “I know I’m a dangerous player. I know no one wants to pull my name in the draw. I take pride in that, and I’m looking forward to hopefully staying on court longer next year” – she said about her season.

“I think I was playing some good tennis again in Seoul, and I was really feeling pretty good on those courts out there.

Unfortunately I injured my foot. There were so many tournaments, and I wasn’t defending any points at the back end of the year, so of course I wanted to play. I think I just took the time and used it in a really proactive and productive way.

I come back now, I feel like everything happens for a reason. It gave me time to work on certain things. Two days ago I served 10 aces, for example, which I did in Seoul in my last match, but it’s been a work in progress. It doesn’t just happen overnight” – Raducanu concluded.