Emma Raducanu needs to inject variety as well as power hitting to compete at the highest level of the game, according to former British No 1 Laura Robson.
The 2021 US Open champion returned to action with a 6-4 7-6(4) defeat at the Strasbourg Open against France’s Diane Parry, in her first competitive match since a heavy defeat against Amanda Anisimova at the Indian Wells Open in early March.
Staying fit has to be the priority for Raducanu after a confusing year that has seen some speculation over her long-term future in the sport.
Raducanu has suggested she wants to get back to the kind of power hitting that drove her towards her only title as a professional player at the US Open almost five years ago, with her decision to split with coach Francisco Roig after the Australian Open in January believed to be due to her desire to play the brand of tennis that sealed her triumph in New York.
Yet Robson suggests power hitting from the back of the court may not be enough for Raducanu to challenge the very best in women’s tennis.
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“I think everyone needs the variety in their game,” says Robson, who will be part of a TNT Sports and HBO Max team that will screen every match at Roland Garros.
“A player like Aryna Sabalenka is obviously a big hitter, but she can still throw in the odd slice and drop shots. She’s still trying to come forward and do new things and that’s the world No 1.
“I mean, because everyone hits the ball big, so you kind of have to be able to do everything. It’s not like you can just get away with crunching the ball and expect to win.
“So I feel like adding the power almost back to her game would be a good thing because it does feel like she lost her identity a little bit.
“But she also has to make sure that she doesn’t lose the ability to do other things out there as well because even the biggest hitters are adding some finesse and they all move so well these days.”
TNT Sports panel led by host Laura Robson, with guests Caroline Wozniacki, Mats Wilander and Tim Henman
The ongoing impact of a virus has been cited as the reason for Raducanu’s absence from the WTA Tour, with Robson suggesting the current British No 1 may take time to get back to the physical levels she needs to reach to be at her best heading into Roland Garros and then the grass court season in front of her British fans.
“I just hope she can get back on the court quickly and can put a few matches together back-to-back,” added Robson.
“However Roland Garros goes for her, I just hope she can spend some time on court because the grass court season is coming and she needs to play as many matches as possible this summer.
“Her ranking is still pretty good and I just feel you need to make the most of it while it’s there. You need to keep yourself in the conversation, build up some resilience physically because it’s not easy playing any of these matches.
“At a certain point, your body gets used to it and she is just building herself back to that level.”
Raducanu’s sliding ranking means she will miss out on a seeding for the second Grand Slam of 2026, but she will be hoping to leap back up the rankings when she gets onto her favoured grass courts at the WTA 500 tournament at The Queen’s Club in London next month.
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