“The challenge for her is physical resilience” – Henman believes Raducanu has more upside

Former world No 4 Tim Henman believes that countrywoman Emma Raducanu has a lot more upside if she is able to remain injury-free and play a full season in 2025.

Raducanu missed a major part of 2023 due to multiple surgeries and then returned to the tour this year to post a respectable 21-13 record although she missed a couple of months due to a foot injury.

“I think the challenge for Raducanu is around physical resilience,” Henman told the Sky Sports Tennis podcast. “You talk about Katie Boulter and all the improvements that she made. Yes, she has got better as a tennis player, her movement has improved, but it’s also the resilience to be able to play that full schedule. You saw Katie at the end of the year playing four or five tournaments in a row. She made a final in Hong Kong, at the last event of the year and finished in the top 25.”

Katie Boulter has played so well, competed so often to build that resilience and the match count.

Henman believes if the former US Open champion can play a full schedule, she can go back into the top 30 in the world.

“Raducanu has had a decent year going from sort of 300 into the top 60 but, when you look at the amount of tennis she’s played, she hasn’t played a great deal. If she builds up that resilience, every time she steps on the court, she was playing good tennis. Therefore, top 50, top 30 in 2025, I think is completely realistic.”

Henman, a leading tennis analyst post his retirement, believes that Katie Boulter, the current British No 1, also has room for further improvement.

“You still watch her and think there’s room for more improvement,” Henman said. “She has played so well, competed so often to build that resilience and the match count. (A Grand Slam run) takes, you know, your game and your stature within the sport to a different level and that’s definitely what I’d like to see from Katie Boulter in 2025.”