Emma Raducanu, the rising tennis star from Britain, has received advice to participate in smaller tournaments before aiming for success in larger events. Her campaign at the Indian Wells tournament ended in the round of 32, where she was defeated in straight sets by Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka, the current world number two, with a score of 6-3, 7-5.
Tennis commentator Jonathan Overend, speaking to Sky Sports, recommended that the former world number 10 focus on competing in smaller tournaments to aid her return to top form.
“The big challenge for Emma Raducanu is that her career is somewhat in reverse,” he said. “She won a Grand Slam title in her teens, an achievement that very few players ever get the chance to experience, and she’s already accomplished it.
Now, she needs to become accustomed to rebuilding her ranking and competing in tournaments that may not have the same level of prestige as these larger events. However, when those opportunities arise, she must believe in her ability to perform at that level because she has already demonstrated it in her career.”
Former world number 76 Naomi Broady, also speaking to Sky Sports, suggested that Emma Raducanu should view her recent results as a learning experience.
“She has the tennis skills, so once she overcomes the injuries—she’s undergone surgeries now and drawn a line in the sand, allowing her to train properly—it’s about dealing with everything else, which you can’t fully understand until you experience it,” said the 34-year-old. “It’s a learning curve. Everything is still so new.
She’s reduced the size of her team significantly. She mentioned that she wanted to make it even smaller. In fact, I think she was only with her coach Nick Cavaday at Indian Wells. Some of the top players have physios, psychologists, and fitness coaches. She’s keeping her team as small as possible and only hiring people she can trust.”
