Former British stars Johanna Konta and Greg Rusedski reflect on Emma Raducanu's run to the fourth round at Wimbledon and look ahead to her switch to the North American hard courts; follow Raducanu in Washington DC for the Mubadala Citi Open on Monday evening, live on Sky
Thursday 18 July 2024 18:46, UK
After Emma Raducanu equalled her best run at Wimbledon, is the former US Open champion heading in the right direction as she prepares to switch to the North American hard courts?
Raducanu climbed back into the top 100 after equalling her best run at Wimbledon but the British star has made big strides over the grass-court season, posting her first two victories over top-10 players.
While her fourth-round loss to qualifier Lulu Sun was undoubtedly disappointing, former players including Johanna Konta and Greg Rusedski believe it will help Raducanu in the long run.
"I think it's great to see her again have four successive matches," said Konta, a three-time Grand Slam semi-finalist.
"I think her last match against Sun was actually really positive. I don't think we've had enough of a chance to see Emma in a situation where a lot of resistance has been put up against her.
"I think it was actually positive to see her in that space, especially how she dealt with that first set where Sun played really smart against her. To then see Emma really get stuck into that second set and turn the momentum a bit.
"Ultimately I think in a player's career this is where you spend most of your time. You're not going to spend your career just rolling through everybody.
"She will start winning these matches more and more and I think that's where your deep-rooted confidence in you as a competitor and you as a player and what you can do out there, how you can problem solve, really comes from.
"The more she can be here, I think the more resilient a player it will make her and ultimately I think it will be what makes her a really, really great tennis player."
Konta believes Raducanu's high turnover of coaches during her career shows a ruthlessness, but also maturity and a clear-minded approach.
Citing Raducanu's decision to miss the French Open and the Olympics, for which she has also received criticism, Konta said: "I think this is where Emma's really good and very mature.
"She has a thought, she has a direction in mind, and she goes for it and she makes the decision, and I think that's a very mature approach for a young player.
"And the same thing with her coaching team. I wish I did that more where I felt like a coaching situation wasn't working, I didn't wait for it to run its course because of how I thought the media would start speaking about it.
"I really admire her for her conviction in how she goes about deciding things for her career."
Raducanu's current coaching partnership with Nick Cavaday has endured since the beginning of the season, while at Wimbledon she also had Jane O'Donoghue, another former childhood coach who now works in finance, by her side.
Another interested watcher was Anne Keothavong, Britain's Billie Jean King Cup captain, who believes Raducanu is heading in the right direction as she prepares to switch to the North American hard courts.
"I think it's been a good grass-court season overall," said Keothavong. "You've got to put things into perspective.
"Twelve months ago she wasn't anywhere near this having had surgery so hopefully she can reflect and feel good and positive about where her tennis is and continue to build.
"We all know how well she plays on the hard courts and how much she enjoys the summer season out in the States. She's on the right track."
Rusedski, a former US Open finalist, feels Raducanu must be feeling confident under a stable backroom team with the top-10 now a realistic goal.
"I think we've got to protect Emma because she's on the way back right now," said the former world No 4. "Great signs, and I think if she keeps on having consistent work, consistent team, she'll get back into the top 10 hopefully. And that's the ambition.
"If she can stay healthy for the next six months to a year, the rankings are only going to go one direction and that's upwards."
However, Francesca Schiavone, a former French Open champion and Wimbledon quarter-finalist, wants Raducanu to enjoy the process which she believes will enable her to make it back to the top of the women's game.
"I think she can do much much more - just enjoying and work hard," said the Italian legend. "She just came back, everybody's happy because she's beautiful, she's very respectful, she has good quality, so let's see what's happened and what will be.
"I hope next year she will be ready for semi-final, final or winning a Slam again."
Raducanu now heads to Washington DC for the Mubadala Citi Open, which kicks off the North American hard-court summer and begins on July 29 - live on Sky Sports Tennis - when the Briton will face Belgium's Elise Mertens, who she beat at Wimbledon, in the first round on Monday evening.
In the run-up to the final Grand Slam of 2024 - the US Open - you can watch all of the biggest tennis stars in action live on Sky Sports as they compete across the hard-court season.
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