"Emma Raducanu is too good for the wins not to come" - Tim Henman outlines what the Brit should do to 'do herself justice'
Former World No. 4 Tim Henman has said that Emma Raducanu needs to stay injury-free for a while to 'do herself justice' and fulfil her potential.
Raducanu burst onto the scene after winning the 2021 US Open. Since then, however, the Brit has failed to reach even the third round of a Grand Slam. In fact, the win at Flushing Meadows is her only singles title on tour to date.
Injuries have played a big role in Raducanu's decline in form. Over the last couple of years, she has suffered from several fitness problems — both minor and major — that have limited her participation on the court.
Raducanu most recently underwent minor surgery on both her wrists and an ankle to fix a recurring issue last year. It kept her out of action for almost eight months before she made her comeback at the ASB Auckland last month.
Speaking about the former World No. 10's injury issues, Henman said that the hugely-talented Brit needs to put together a run of matches under her belt without being injured. He told Metro:
"If she [Emma Raducanu] can play 20 tournaments without any injury setbacks, I think that would be fantastic. She’s too good for the wins not to come. I do believe her level is that good. It’s much more about the process and less about the outcome."
"She’s still massively inexperienced. If you do a number count of the matches she has played on the main tour, it is still so little. She’s got to build up physical resilience and the experience of being on tour. Then she will be able to do herself justice. Post-US Open, she was still trying to build up her physicality at tournaments, which is hard to do," the 49-year-old Brit added.
How has Emma Raducanu fared so far in 2024?
Emma Raducanu's return from injury at the ASB Auckland didn't exactly go to plan. Her first-round clash against qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse went the distance before she won 6-3, 4-6, 7-5.
Raducanu's second-round match against Elina Svitolina saw the first two sets go to a tiebreak before the Ukrainian won the third set comfortably, 6-1. The Brit started her Australian Open campaign with a straight-sets win over Shelby Rogers but lost to Wang Yafan in the following match.
The Brit was then sent packing in the second round for the third tournament in a row when she took part at the Abu Dhabi Open. A 6-4, 6-1 win against Marie Bouzkova was followed by a 6-4, 6-1 loss against the second-seeded Ons Jabeur.
Raducanu is now set to begin her Qatar Open campaign on Sunday (February 11) with a first-round match against Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina.