While 2021 US champion Emma Raducanu suffered a second-round 1-6. 2-6 loss against five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek in the second round of the French Open earlier this week, it also meant that the British former world number 10 could not better her Roland Garros record with her 2022 second-round loss.
With Raducanu now training part-time since January under coach Mark Petchey, who also works as a broadcaster, seven-time Grand Slam winner and commentator John McEnroe believes it’s an ‘ongoing issue’ and the former world number ten needs to find the right team.
“I see that she’s still in and out to some extent with injuries. Finding the right team seems to be an ongoing issue. I don’t know why, I haven’t spoken to her. I’ve met her a couple of times in my entire life. I certainly wish her the best. Anyone that’s won a Slam, you want to see them continue to compete at a high level. It boils down to sort of getting, to me, the right situation around you so that you can be eager to get yourself as healthy and fit as possible, so that you can then go compete at the level you want to consistently. That’s the key. I don’t know where she’s at there,” McEnroe told Tennis 365.
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Raducanu is currently ranked 41st in the world rankings and had a 10-5 win-loss record in her last five tournaments with her reaching the quarter-finals and last 16 of the Miami Open and Italian Open in recent weeks training under Patchey. Since she won the US Open in 2021, Raducanu has struggled with injuries and form with her best finish in a Grand Slam being the fourth-round finishes in Wimbledon in 2021 and 2024.
Four-time Grand Slam winner Jim Courier sees this year as a rebuilding year for Raducanu. “It’s a rebuilding year for her, she’s been working on rebuilding her body, now she’s working on rebuilding her confidence. And some of that comes down to also once you get that confidence you get a little bit more aura and you bring some swagger back to the court and that affects how your opponents view playing you as well. So, this is going to be a very interesting rest of the year for her. I wish her the best. I hear she’s a wonderful person,” Courier told TNT Sports.
Patchey, who had worked with then 18-year-old Andy Murray for ten months in 2006, had also trained Raducanu in 2020. Raducanu was earlier training under full-time coach Nick Cavaday before she parted ways with Cavaday.
The former British number one, who also has broadcast commitments with TNT Sports, talked about adjustments Raducanu needs to make. “From my point of view, it’s tough on Emma as I still feel everyone is living in 2021. The games have changed massively. The balls are four times heavier than back in 2021 and Emma isn’t the biggest hitter out there. If you can’t put the ball through the court on a windy, heavy clay court day against someone like Iga, you’re going to get into all sorts of trouble,” Petchey told.
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The coach also talked about Raducanu needing to start closing the gap between the best players. “Since I started helping Emma, I said she needs to start closing the gap between the best players. She doesn’t need me to sit between 20-50 in the world and, if I’m not the best choice, she needs to find the best choice. My mantra to her has been that you are starting your career now. Everyone is judging you on what happened in 2021 but the reality is, I want to see you building a career here where people judge you in two years.”
