Emma Raducanu's career choices questioned by tennis legend ahead of return

12 July 2023 , 13:17

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Emma Raducanu has faced a steep decline since her US Open victory (Image: PA)

Emma Raducanu hasn't made "great choices" since her US Open triumph in 2021 according to Martina Hingis.

The British female shot to fame with success at Flushing Meadows, becoming the first qualifier to ever claim a Grand Slam title. Since then though Raducanu has found life difficult and is absent from Wimbledon due to injury with her form lacking before that.

The 20-year-old has undergone operations on both wrists and one ankle with her return expected in the autumn. By that point she will be outside the top 100 and on the search for a new coach after splitting with Sebastian Sachs - who was her fifth coach in 18 months.

Raducanu took the decision to part with Andrew Richardson immedatiely after the US Open, despite his role in her success. Hingis, who won several Grand Slams in her teens, remains surprised by the decision and believes Raducanu faces a long and difficult road back.

She said: "If you have the right surroundings, I think that's also really important. I never met her so I don't know exactly what goes through the head. It's incredible she was able to win the US Open and, all of the changes after that, I don't think it was a great choice to do.

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"When you win with someone, you usually continue, but I can't judge what happened. It would be nice for her to find the way and to find her success again. She's got the shots, she's the whole package, but you still need the results. It's not like one day you win the US Open and then that's the rest of the life. There's so many girls out there that can play well who are hungry. I hope the best for her but it won't be easy."

Raducanu is no longer Britain's top ranked female with Katie Boulter winning one of the the warm-up events before Wimbledon and then making the third round at SW19, where she was beaten by defending champion Elena Rybakina.

Victoria Azarenka, a two-time Grand Slam champion, has also suggested she found the move to axe Richardson straight after her success in New York as an odd decision, citing the need to keep a "small circle" of people who had helped her reach the top.

She told told the William Hill's Upfront with Simon Jordan podcast: "I think the advice I would have given her is that you should not forget the people who drove you to that moment and who helped you get there. From my experience, I would say she needs to have a very small circle and a very solid one."

Samuel Meade