Tennis Legend 'Hoping And Praying' Raducanu Becomes Comeback Player Of 2025

2024 was another challenging season for Emma Raducanu. Seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander is among those hoping that 2025 will be a better year for the Briton.

Raducanu returned to tennis at the start of 2024 after being sidelined with severe wrist and ankle injuries for nine months in 2023. Both issues required surgery before the 22-year-old could return.

There were some encouraging moments for Raducanu in 2024. She came close to reaching her second WTA Final at the Nottingham Open but narrowly lost a tight semifinal to her compatriot Katie Boulter.

Most of Raducanu's best performances this year came at the Billie Jean King Cup. Her inspired efforts against Caroline Garcia and Diane Parry in Great Britain's tie with France in April's qualifiers were the most significant reason her country qualified for November's finals.

Raducanu then won all her matches at the Finals. Team Great Britain was on the cusp of the final, but Slovakia fought back from Raducanu winning the opening match to prevail 2-1 and break British hearts.

Despite the disappointment of coming so close, Raducanu found positives from how she played at the Finals in Malaga. The Nottingham Open semifinalist had been injured for almost two months before but quickly found her rhythm again.

Raducanu also endured many struggles in 2024. Some of the expectations on her shoulders will always be unrealistically high because of her stunning and memorable run to the 2021 US Open title as an 18-year-old qualifier.

However, Raducanu's supreme talent means her failure to reach a WTA Final in the more than three years following her stunning achievement at Flushing Meadows is surprising, and she undoubtedly hopes to rectify this.

To her credit, Raducanu has taken a proactive step to try to improve in 2025 by hiring Yutaka Nakamura, Naomi Osaka and Maria Sharapova's former coach. She hopes he can help her become one of the best athletes on the WTA Tour.

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The former US Open champion's talent and young age mean many still expect her to enjoy considerable success in the future. Raducanu's former coach, Mark Petchey, believes she will win multiple Grand Slams.

Wilander did not speak with that level of certainty in his comments on Eurosport. The Swede hopes that Raducanu will be the 2025 Comeback Player of the Year because he is a massive fan of her and has been for several years.

Raducanu's compatriot Laura Robson participated in the Q&A on Eurosport with Wilander. The former British No. 1 also hopes she ends this season as the WTA Comeback Player of the Year.

The three seasons since winning the US Open have undoubtedly been challenging for Raducanu. However, writing off a player with her ability would be foolish. 2025 could be the year she becomes more consistent and substantially improves her ranking.

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