Emma Raducanu is one of the most talented players on the WTA Tour, but to succeed, she can't afford to take frequent breaks, according to Mark Petchey.
The British player completed the dream of many tennis players already in her teenage years. As a qualifier, she sensationally won the 2021 US Open, and the spotlight that won on her shone brighter than ever.
Since then, Raducanu struggled with plenty of injuries, even undergoing triple surgery. Over the past three years, she also made multiple questionable choices.
At first, it seemed like she was not able to figure out who she wanted to be her coach, as she changed multiple over the course of a year. Then, she made some surprising scheduling decisions as well.
She chose not to compete at the WTA 1000 tournaments in Cincinnati and Toronto this year, which, as she later admitted, cost her a better result at the US Open.
However, in recent months, Raducanu seemingly found her footing again, and she has been making steady progress. At the moment, she's ranked 57th in the world, which is relatively close to a seeding spot at majors.
Andy Murray's former coach, Mark Petchey, recently spoke to Betway, discussing Raducanu's efforts. According to the former World No. 80 on the ATP Tour, Raducanu needs to consistently work in practice to become successful.
"The harder you work, the easier it becomes when you play tennis matches. When you know you’ve put in the work the matches become ‘easier’ because your practice sessions should be arguably harder than the matches themselves."
"Emma [Raducanu] is too good, in my opinion, not to succeed. She's too athletic. She's too motivated when she's in between the lines. I think sometimes there have been a few times when she hasn’t been as prepared as she would like to be."
Petchey thinks that the qualities that Raducanu possesses are just too good for her not to succeed, and he also believes that she will put in the work necessary during this off-season.
In the past few weeks, the 22-year-old regularly posted her workouts on her social media accounts, suggesting that she's indeed working hard to be ready for the 2025 season.
"I have 100 percent confidence she will do the work in the off-season. There's nobody out there that's going to enjoy playing Emma when she's fully fit and fully motivated."
"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to sit here and say to you that she's going to be pushing a lot of the Top 10 players consistently over the next twelve months."
However, Petchey also warned Raducanu against the constant stopping and starting. While sometimes it's inevitable, such as when she gets injured, there are moments when she could avoid it, such as in Toronto and Cincinnati.
"But there has to be a commitment to week in week out tournaments. The dipping in and out doesn't help the physical side of things. I want her to have longevity in the sport. I don't want her out of the sport at 26 or 27."
"Her team should be looking at how they manage her from here on in for another fifteen years of playing this sport if that's what she wants to do. I think she's well placed to do that."