Former world No 1 Mats Wilander has set Emma Raducanu a bold rankings target, but he admits she has yet to prove she has what it takes to win another Grand Slam title.
This year’s US Open marks the fourth anniversary of Raducanu’s remarkable win in New York, as she came through qualifying at Flushing Meadows and won her first Grand Slam title without dropping a set throughout the tournament.
That win fired Raducanu to international superstardom and she has struggled to back up the hype that inevitably built up around her after that breakthrough victory.
Now 22, Raducanu is showing real signs that she can compete with the game’s best players once again, with two recent performances against world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka confirming she is not far behind the best in the women’s game.
Now Wilander has given his verdict on Raducanu ahead of the US Open, as he predicted she will be back in the top 10 of the WTA Rankings soon, but he admits the jury is out on whether she can win a second Grand Slam title.
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“I think what’s cool is that we’re seeing a better version than the one that she was when she was 18, even though she won the US Open,” said Wilander, as he prepares to join the Eurosport broadcasting team at the US Open.
“By a better version, I mean she’s still playing the same kind of tennis. She’s trying to be aggressive.
“She’s very complete in all aspects of her game and her serve has become better. Obviously, she’s stronger physically at 22 than she was at 18.
“Mentally, I’m not sure. I think mentally is the big question. Is she confident enough that she can overpower some of these players because obviously Sabalenka and Iga are bringing a different level than the players that she beat at the US Open four years ago.
“I don’t think we can look at Emma Raducano and say that she has another Grand Slam victory in her yet. She has to prove a few more things before we talk about her like that.
“But we are looking at an Emma Raducanu that can break into the top 10 here in a year or two, in my eyes, and I’m pretty convinced that she will break into the best players in the world.
“If we ask can she win another major? That’s another completely different question for another day.”
Mats Wilander is part of the Eurosport commentary team
Raducanu has been criticised for constantly changing her coach since that US Open win in 2021, with Wilander suggesting she needs to stick with Francisco Roig after adding him to her team as lead coach last month.
“I would say that it was mismanaged immediately after the US Open because I know the coach that she had at the time did not stay on for very long,” he added.
“More importantly for Emma Raducano, she was injured. She got injured straight away, and she’s had wrist operations, she’s had operations in a lot of places, and she hasn’t been able to play. So I think that we have to put Emma Raducano in a different situation.
“But as a general thing, yes, I think that you should keep your coach. If you had success as a 17, 18-year-old, 19-year-old with one coach, you should keep that coach for at least three or four more years to see how far you can get with that coach.”
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