WTA legend and trailblazer Billie Jean King has laid out her vision for Emma Raducanu‘s roadmap to success, emphasizing that the young athlete’s ability to “stay healthy” over the long haul and maintain “patience” will be pivotal.
Since creating history as the first qualifier to clinch a Grand Slam title at the 2021 US Open, the British tennis star, who celebrated her 22nd birthday on Wednesday, has faced a challenging drought without lifting any trophies. The reality is, Raducanu has found herself in a battle against a series of injuries that have necessitated surgical procedures on both wrists and her ankle.
After making her post-surgical comeback at the beginning of 2024, there have been signs of progress for Raducanu, yet she encountered setbacks during the year, including a two-month hiatus due to a foot injury ahead of her return this Friday at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
King shared her insights with BBC Sport, stating, “If she can stay healthy long enough, then we’ll see how good she is. But if you keep getting injured, you never get that momentum going. If you’ve been seriously injured, I always think players need at least a year and a half to recoup properly. It is a tough journey to return from injury, and an immense amount of patience is necessary.”
Despite avoiding any major injury scares in 2024, Raducanu still faced intermittent periods off the court. Now, she finds herself in discussions to hire Yutaka Nakamura, the former coach of Maria Sharapova and Naomi Osaka, as she aims to build strength and enhance her playing schedule for the upcoming season.
Reflecting on her ambitions for next year, Raducanu remarked, “My goal is to spend more time on the court. This year, I reached the top 60 in the world rankings without participating in more than 15 tournaments. I understand that if I can remain fit and compete consistently, I’ll be able to aim even higher. My athleticism is definitely an asset, but I believe it hasn’t yet reached its full potential. I’m eager to explore that further and am ready to commit fully to the effort required.”
In total, Raducanu participated in 13 tournaments this season, highlighting a commendable yet limited competitive schedule beyond her commitments at the Billie Jean King Cup.
