"It's going to be tough because she has a target on her back and now all the players know her game" - Christ Evert on Emma Raducanu
Emma Raducanu's sensational run to the 2021 US Open title made her an overnight superstar in the tennis world.
The youngster's results since winning her maiden Grand Slam trophy, however, have been quite disappointing. According to former World No. 1 Chris Evert, the Brit's recent struggles are largely due to her having a target on her back.
Speaking to Eurosport in her latest interview, Evert said unpredicitability worked in Raducanu's favor over the US Open fortnight. The American believes that players and coaches have since dissected the Brit's game and are better equipped to handle it now.
"It's going to be tough because now she has a target on her back and now all the players are gunning for it," Evert said. "They know she doesn't have the confidence that she had at the US Open or the unpredictability. They know her game."
"After a newcomer wins a Grand Slam," she continued. "Every coach is getting statistics finding out 'does she get more crosscourt forehands or more down the line forehands? Where does she go with her first serve normally?' They study the player, and now the word is out with all of her patterns. She feels a little bit more pressure."
Evert, however, pointed out that the 19-year-old is still quite young and has plenty of room for improvement. She added that the Brit had the potential to be a top-five player in the future.
"So she's not winning matches," Evert said."But I feel with time and work, she will get, I think, at the top of the game. I'm not saying number one, but I think she'll be very much a top five player."
"I think Raducanu has a high ceiling," she continued. "I don't know when we're going to see it because there's so many great players out there, and I think she's still young and she still can improve her game."
"It's human to have a little bit of a downfall" - Chris Evert on Emma Raducanu's slump
Evert has backed Emma Raducanu to rediscover her best tennis, saying that it was normal to have "a little bit of a downfall" after winning a first Grand Slam title.
"It's so human to have a little bit of a downfall after you win your first Grand Slam," she continued. "Most of the women who have won their first Grand Slam title have done that, where all of a sudden they're not winning anymore. They're not as dominant as people think they should be."
"Even though she's gotten a lot of endorsements and she's raking in the money, I genuinely feel that tennis is still the number one priority in her mind," Evert said. "I do believe she's working hard at her game."
Raducanu will take on the winner of the first-round encounter between Dayana Yastremska and Caroline Garcia in her opening BNP Paribas Open match.