"Nick Kyrgios pulls off this show, like John McEnroe before, but an Emma Raducanu is more effective in women’s tennis" - Anke Huber
Former World No. 4 Anke Huber recently gave her thoughts on the recurring on-court outbursts in tennis. Huber highlighted Nick Kyrgios's history of temper tantrums, while explaining how someone like Emma Raducanu, with a calmer temperament, is more favorable to women's tennis.
Australia's Nick Kyrgios is renowned for his volatile temperament, which was on show during his fourth-round loss in Miami, where he was involved in a heated argument with the chair umpire.
While such incidents attract significant public attention, Anke Huber believes they shouldn't become commonplace in women's tennis. She feels the presence of someone as composed as Emma Raducanu is more "effective" on the WTA tour.
"Kyrgios pulls off this show, like John McEnroe before, often on purpose," Huber remarked in an interview with Eurosport. "It’s his ploy to keep the conversation going. But I don’t know if you should want that for women’s tennis. Granted, it makes things more interesting. But I think an Emma Raducanu is more effective in women’s tennis."
"I was talking to my friend!"
Nick Kyrgios received a game penalty in his match with Jannik Sinner for this... https://t.co/UE1byQdpqo
The German went on to give her thoughts on the young Brit's future in the sport. Raducanu has managed just four wins since her triumph at Flushing Meadows, and Huber believes that she will require a couple more years to find consistency in her results.
"Raducanu is someone who can play at the top in the future," Huber said. "She has everything to become a top-5 player and maybe even make it to No. 1. Emma needs another year or two to become consistent and really demonstrate what she is capable of."
Emma Raducanu to test herself on clay after a dismal start to the season
With a 2-5 win-loss record thus far, Emma Raducanu is in the midst of a lackluster season. She recently competed at Indian Wells and Miami, managing a solitary win over France's Caroline Garcia across the two WTA 1000 events. The 19-year-old, who is playing a full season for the first time in her burgeoning career, is next set to test her game on clay.
Raducanu will be making her tour-level debut on the terre battue at the upcoming Stuttgart Open, which begins on April 18. She will then compete at the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid from April 28. With barely any ranking points to defend before Wimbledon, the World No. 12 has a chance at cracking the WTA top 10 in the next few months.