"You don't want to be that one-hit wonder" - John McEnroe predicts long road ahead for Emma Raducanu amidst rankings slump
American icon John McEnroe has predicted a long road ahead for Emma Raducanu in her comeback journey, opining that the Brit has a lot of pressure from her sponsors, too.
Bursting onto the scene with a memorable title run at the 2021 US Open, the first qualifier in Grand Slam history to go all the way Raducanu became an overnight sensation in Great Britain and around the world. However, she was unable to sustain the same form after that and hasn't garnered a single title since then.
With criticism mounting, 2023 went from bad to worse for the 20-year-old, as multiple surgeries on her wrist and ankles forced the Brit to take an extended break from the game. Among other tournaments, Raducanu has missed the French Open and Wimbledon, surrendering the British No. 1 spot to Katie Boulter and falling out of the top 100.
Speaking to the press ahead of this year's Wimbledon, John McEnroe said that Raducanu, having won a Major, has already done something more than 99% of players would not be able to achieve in their careers. At the same time, he does not want the youngster to remain a one-hit wonder and hopes that she can make a successful comeback soon.
"Emma Raducanu’s under a lot more pressure from sponsors and just her ranking and how that all works to get back sooner.
"Look, she’s won a Major, which 99 per cent of players or more can’t say, but you don’t want to be that one-hit wonder either. So this is going to be a long road back in a way because she has to start over in a way,” John McEnroe said.
Asked if he can give any advice to Raducanu on how to deal with pressure off the court, especially from sponsors, McEnroe admitted that he might not be the right guy, as he was driven "pretty crazy" by all that.
“I am not sure I’m the right guy to ask in a way because it was driving me pretty crazy. Some of mine was self-inflicted, whereas I don’t really see her as being that way," McEnroe said.
"I didn’t know Emma Raducanu had been linked with Rick Macci" - John McEnroe
John McEnroe also referred to Emma Raducanu as a "kid," saying that the fact that she has been through a lot of coaches (six in the last two years) is a decision that's being made in part by her family, too.
“(Emma Raducanu) has been through a lot of coaches, and, obviously, her family is going to be involved in these decisions.
"She’s a kid. And there are people around her, and they make decisions only from the standpoint of athletes being pretty superstitious," John McEnroe said.
With the Brit now reportedly in talks to embark on a partnership with Rick Macci, who coached Venus and Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Jennifer Capriati and Andy Roddick during their early years, McEnroe is looking forward to see how things turn out.
"I didn’t know Emma Raducanu had been linked with Rick Macci. Obviously, that’s going to be six months down the road, I’m assuming, because she’s out, I think, for the rest of the year," John McEnroe said.