Emma Raducanu might be a talented player with Top 10 aspirations, but to achieve those, she must stay healthy for a longer period.
It seems that ever since Raducanu broke out in 2021, the only question surrounding her tennis career has been her health. She sensationally won the US Open that year, and while it seemed that she was destined to challenge for another Grand Slam title soon, that was far from the reality.
Since then, Raducanu has never made it past the fourth round at a major, and on top of that, she played only in eight out of twelve Grand Slam tournaments held since the 2021 US Open.
She often had to spend time away from the tennis courts, which is why she never managed to fully reach her potential. Now, however, it seems that she's on the right track again, as plenty of her videos from pre-season preparations suggest.
Raducanu is working hard, and if she can keep the form she had at the end of the 2024 season, she might become a player that will eventually make it to the Top 10 on the WTA Tour again.
She has an experience of being in the Top 10, as she entered it in 2022, but she has yet to repeat that. In 2025, she might start a comeback journey, and former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash certainly backs her to be successful.
Cash spoke to Tennis365 recently, discussing how incredibly talented player Raducanu is and was during her US Open run. The 1987 Wimbledon champion believes that while there are two players that dominate both Tours at the moment, there is plenty of space to rise up the rankings below that, which could benefit Raducanu.
“It’s been interesting to watch her play. She has certainly got the talent to compete at the top level. I was at Queen’s Club the other day and some highlights popped up on the TV of her winning the US Open and it was just phenomenal to remind yourself how good she is."
"On both the men’s and women’s side of the draws, we have one or two players right at the top who have separated themselves, but there is a gap below that and players can come through to the latter stages of tournaments."
One player who has significantly risen through the ranks in recent years has been Emma Navarro. The American player was ranked outside of the Top 250 in 2022, and in 2023, she already ended the season ranked 32nd, guaranteeing her a seeding spot at Grand Slams.
One year later, Navarro ended the 2024 season as the World No. 8 player. Cash compared Raducanu to Navarro, and in his eyes, the British player is better than Navarro.
"We saw Navarro come through this year and Emma is definitely a better player than her. Navarro is tough, tricky and competitive, but Raducanu has more to her game."
"You just have to hope Raducanu stays fit and can get matches under her belt because she certainly has the talent to do very well."
Although Cash sees Raducanu as a better player, she will have to prove his statement on the tennis courts. Currently, Navarro is ranked higher, and deservedly so, given her successful 2024 season.
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