The legendary Billie Jean King thinks fans should be patient with Emma Raducanu as the WTA star attempts to put injury problems behind her.
Raducanu has attracted more attention than most players since winning the 2021 US Open as an 18-year-old qualifier without dropping a set. It remains one of the most unexpected moments in tennis history.
Unfortunately, sections of the British media especially have placed considerable expectations on her shoulders since that moment, which is tough for someone as young as Raducanu to handle.
Injuries also prevented Raducanu from building on that US Open triumph. The most severe physical setback was a nine-month layoff from the sport in 2023 due to wrist and ankle injuries, both of which required surgery.
Raducanu did not return until the ASB Classic in the opening week of the 2024 season. The 22-year-old has confirmed she will appear at the tournament held in Auckland again to begin the 2025 season.
There have been some positive signs for Raducanu this season. An example was producing two excellent performances against France on clay in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers, leading Team Great Britain to a significant upset.
Raducanu also reached the semifinals of the Nottingham Open and the quarterfinals of the Citi Open in Washington. She only narrowly lost to the eventual champion Paula Badosa at the Citi Open.
Unfortunately, the former Grand Slam winner sustained another injury during the opening week of the Asian swing at the Korea Open in Seoul. She retired against Daria Kasatkina after 31 minutes after spraining ligaments in her foot.
That led to Raducanu missing the rest of the Asian swing. She decided not to end her season early, and hard work off the court meant the young star recovered in time for the ongoing Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
Raducanu made a strong start to the Finals, winning in straight sets against Jule Niemeier in her first match since the Korea Open in September. Katie Boulter's win in the other contest sealed Team Great Britain's place in the quarterfinal.
Billie Jean King spoke to the BBC during the team event that is named after her as a tribute. The 12-time Grand Slam singles champion thinks fans and the media need to be patient with Raduanu because of the injuries she has experienced.
"If she can stay healthy long enough, then we’ll see how good she is. But if you keep getting injured, you never get that momentum going. If you’ve been injured – really injured – I always want to give a player at least a year and a half to recover. It takes a lot to come back from injury and you have got to be very patient."
Criticisms of Raducanu might feel more valid if she did not seek to address her repeated injuries. However, the Briton recently confirmed she was in talks to hire Naomi Osaka's former fitness coach.
That seems like a wise move from Raducanu, who does not currently have a full-time fitness coach. That will give her a better chance of having the 18 months King feels are necessary before a player is judged.
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