Some fans have criticized Emma Raducanu's decisions this season, but former British No. 1 Tim Henman is optimistic about where the former US Open champion's game is at right now.
Raducanu has produced some strong performances this year. She came close to reaching the final on home soil at the Nottingham Open, narrowly losing her semifinal to the eventual champion Katie Boulter.
The 21-year-old followed that with a run to the fourth round of Wimbledon a few weeks later. She defeated Maria Sakkari in the third round but then fell to an inspired Lulu Sun on Centre Court.
Raducanu also showed her ability on clay during Great Britain's Billie Jean King Cup tie against France. She produced some sublime tennis to overcome Caroline Garcia and Diane Parry and played a significant role in helping her team progress to the next round.
Despite those positives, some of her scheduling moves have surprised fans. For instance, she did not play at the French Open to prioritize the grass-court season, although her good results on grass mean she would argue it was the right decision.
The 2021 US Open champion also did not play at the Olympics. That decision was due to her concern about repeatedly switching surfaces after her history of injury issues, which is understandable after how long she was out until the start of this season.
Raducanu started her North American hardcourt season by reaching the quarterfinal of the Citi DC Open in Washington, but she lost narrowly to eventual champion Paula Badosa at that stage.
Playing at the Canadian Open in Toronto and the ongoing Cincinnati Open seemed the logical next move. However, she did not play in Toronto or Cincinnati after not receiving a wild card for the tournament.
Raducanu admitted she may have played in Cincinnati if she had gotten a wild card. Some fans think that attitude is overly entitled, but Henman defended the 21-year-old. Speaking to Tennis365, Henman said he expected big results from her in the future.
"We just have to show some patience with Raducanu now. Her challenges have been well documented since she won the US Open, but the level of play she has shown this year confirms she is absolutely moving in the right direction."
"I have no doubts that she will have some big results in the future. When you look at her ranking and her position in the WTA Race and realise the limited number of tournaments she has played, it emphasises her quality."
Henman also emphasized the importance of Raducanu being able to play for a full 12 months. He noted that has not occurred since the Briton returned from injury in January, and he expects her to be seeded again at the biggest tournaments when that happens.
"She hasn’t played a full 12 months since coming back from injury so let’s give her some time. If she can play for a full 12 months, she will be back in the biggest and best events and she will be seeded once again in the Grand Slams before long and she won’t have to worry about her schedule."
"She had a real chance at Wimbledon as the draw opened up, but the strength in depth in the women’s game is great now."
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