Emma Raducanu Has Struggled With 'Taking Responsibility' Says Former British No. 1
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Tim Henman thinks Emma Raducanu has found it challenging to manage her career at a young age. However, he says the former US Open champion can now invest in her abilities.
Many young athletes find the pressure of making off-court decisions hard, but that has been especially difficult for Raducanu after shock rise to stardom when she won the 2021 US Open as a qualifier without dropping a set.
Raducanu suddenly needed to navigate competing regularly on the WTA Tour and making important decisions to enhance her development. With hindsight, some of her moves in the last few years might have been misguided.
An example is the number of coaches Raducanu has worked with. She shocked the tennis world by sacking Andrew Richardson a few weeks after winning the US Open under his guidance, a move no one saw coming.
Raducanu worked with several high-profile coaches, including Angelique Kerber's former coach, Torben Beltz, and Anett Kontaveit's ex-coach, Dimitry Tursunov, but no partnership lasted more than a few months.
Not establishing a long-term relationship with an experienced coach might partially explain Raducanu's inconsistencies and struggles since winning the US Open. She has not come close to those heights since.
Physical issues have also hampered Raducanu. The 22-year-old missed nine months in 2023 because of severe wrist and ankle injuries. Both issues required surgery before the young star returned to the court.
Raducanu has had several other injuries, including spraining ligaments in her foot during the Korea Open in September. She missed almost two months before returning for Team Great Britain's run to the semifinals of the Billie Jean King Cup.
After a couple of years of not having a full-time fitness coach, Raducanu hired Naomi Osaka's former fitness trainer, Yutaka Nakamura, during the off-season. She hopes he can help her become one of the world's best athletes.
Nakamura's appointment seems like a positive move and a possible indication that Raducanu is now better positioned to make the crucial decisions that will impact her short-term and long-term prospects as a tennis player.
Speaking to the iPaper, Henman outlined how tough it can be for players to take ownership of their careers at young ages and that it is slightly bizarre compared to most other professions in life.
"What you have to understand is that the business environment of a professional tennis player is slightly bizarre in that you are the CEO of your own little world, and you are taking responsibility. When most people might be doing that at 35, 45 or 55, here you are as a 19, 20, 21 year old girl who’s got to take on those responsibilities."
The four-time Wimbledon semifinalist is also encouraged by Raducanu's hiring of Osaka's former fitness coach and thinks it is a wise use of the money she has made from endorsements since winning the US Open.
“This is a part of a professional tennis player’s business that does take time to adjust to. Now she’s obviously got the opportunity to invest in her career, because she’s made a lot of money and that’s why I think it’s a good move to have someone that can look after your body full-time from the physical point of view."
