Mats Wilander feels Emma Raducanu needs to listen to "her own voice", says "superstar coaches" don't always work for youngsters
Former World No. 1 Mats Wilander has cautioned Emma Raducanu against letting "too many voices" get into her head as the Brit gears up for her first full season on the WTA Tour in 2022.
Raducanu stunned the tennis world by becoming the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam at the 2021 US Open. The youngster has since broken into the top 20 of the world rankings and put in place a new support team led by German Torben Beltz.
Wilander, however, feels that Raducanu needs to listen to her own voice when it comes to developing her game. Speaking to Eurosport in a recent interview, Wilander said that "superstar coaches" don't always work well for youngsters as they need time to grow on their own.
"We've got to let these kids grow up before you try to shape them," Wilander said. "Otherwise there's a very, very big chance that people are going to be what stops Emma Raducanu from developing into a great player."
"I think she needs to be allowed to do that herself," he continued. "With these superstar coaches. It doesn't work for an 18-year-old. They need to grow up in their own time and with Emma Raducanu, I'm sorry, but it's not a good idea to have too many voices in her head. The only voice she needs to listen to is her own."
Wilander also stressed the need to "have fun" on court, saying that youngsters like Raducanu should be allowed the freedom to develop at their own pace.
He added that while Torben Beltz was a "great coach", Raducanu is unlikely to benefit from too many different ideas being forced onto her.
"[Raducanu] needs to have fun," Wilander said. "She needs to be allowed to do what she wants to do off and on the tennis court, and she needs to develop in her own time and not to force coaches on her."
"I'm not saying that Torben Beltz is not... he's a great coach, he obviously coached Angie Kerber for a long time. I believe it helped her win Grand Slam tournaments," he added. "But Angie Kerber knew how to do that anyway."
Emma Raducanu gearing up for maiden appearance at the Royal Albert Hall
Emma Raducanu will be one of the major draws at the Champions Tennis event, scheduled to be played at the Royal Albert Hall. The Brit will play an exhibition match against Romania's Elena-Gabriela Ruse on Sunday.
The invitational tournament, which was first played 24 years ago at the Royal Albert Hall, will mark its final appearance at the iconic London venue this year.
Raducanu was spotted hitting the gym ahead of her first appearance in front of home fans since lifting her maiden Grand Slam trophy.