Tim Henman believes the expectations of what constitutes success need to be moderated around Emma Raducanu after her latest heavy defeat at the hands of Iga Swiatek.
Four-time Roland Garros champion Swiatek had far too much firepower for Raducanu as she recorded her fifth straight-set win against the 2021 US Open champion in a one-sided second-round match in Paris.
The 6-1, 6-2 scoreline highlighted the gulf in class between the two players, with the noise echoing around Court Philippe-Chatrier emphasising the ball striking abilities of the two players.
Tennis365 were courtside for the Swiatek vs Raducanu match in Paris, with the sound of the ball as it came off Swiatek’s racket delivering more of a thud than that of her beaten rival.
It was one of the reasons why Raducanu was forced to accept an overwhelming defeat and spark fresh questions over whether she would ever compete with the game’s modern greats.
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Now Henman has put some perspective on her defeat and performance at Roland Garros, as he admitted Raducanu has much to do to challenge the players at the top of the women’s game.
Yet he also offered some words of encouragement, as Raducanu looks ahead to the grass court season that should help her game.
“She has just gone up against the best clay court player of her generation and she was overpowered, that’s fair to say,” Henman told Tennis365 in an exclusive interview at TNT Sports studios at Roland Garros.
“Swiatek is a four-time champion here. She is one of the greatest clay court players of all time. There is the bar Raducanu and the rest have to get to.
“Emma has a great game, but it is almost as if Swiatek has an extra gear. She has extra power on both wings, her movement in and out of corners is a bit better.
“That’s a lesson she learned. Emma is the kind of person who will embrace the challenge in front of her and try and find the solutions.
“She can take a lot of positives out of the clay season. She was moving in the right direction on clay and she has had some success on this surface in recent weeks. Now she can go away and work out how she can get better.”
Raducanu will now turn her attention to play at the brand new WTA 500 tournament at The Queen’s Club on grass courts in a couple of weeks, with Henman confident she will have a chance to shine on a surface she favours.
The long-term position of coach Mark Petchey is uncertain given his commitments to broadcasters, but Henman has urged her to embrace stability in her camp and have a long-term vision for her ambitions.
“She is moving onto a surface that will give her little more assistance and will suit her game,” he added. “This is not about the next four weeks for Emma, it’s about the next four years and where she can go.
“What is success? It is for her to get back into the top 30 or maybe the top 10? It’s about being the best version of yourself and maximising your potential.
“Now she has got a good team around her and I hope she sticks with it. Petch has been around the game for a long time and has been good for her.
“She has played lots of tournaments, been on court for a lot of matches and built up that physical resilience over what is a long season.
“I’m sure she will be licking some wounds after that defeat [against Swiatek] and the upside of finishing early at Roland Garros is she can put the clay court shoes away, head home and get ready for grass. I don’t have any concerns so long as she keeps on this path.”
Raducanu could be on course to be back in the top 40 of the WTA Rankings when they are updated after Roland Garros, but she still seems to be a long way from competing with the true greats of the women’s game.
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