Tennis pundit Mark Petchey believes that Emma Raducanu is capable of winning ‘multiple Grand Slams’ now that she has returned to full fitness. The 21-year-old endured an injury-ridden 2023 but is hoping to get her career back on track on this year’s tour.
Following her US Open success in 2021, Raducanu struggled to build on the momentum gained at Flushing Meadows. Recurring injuries and shaky performances raised questions about whether the Brit can continue to compete at the very top level.
Raducanu underwent surgery on both her wrists and her ankle last year and she has now returned to the court. The former world No. 10 has won three and lost four of her matches so far this year, and slowly but surely she appears to be finding her form.
Several former players have emerged with praise for how Raducanu has returned, with Petchey among those to talk up her chances now that she has gone under the knife. He told The i newspaper: “She is moving well.
“She’s probably one of the best athletes out there on the tour right now. She moves phenomenally well, I don’t think we talk about it enough. If the game is there, then the athleticism backs up,” the former world No. 80 said.
“I personally would like to see a little bit more consistency in her team. But the one thing I will say about Emma is the 10 months that I spent with her, there was not a day, there was not a minute that she didn’t put in. Every single time she hit a tennis ball, and it was 100 per cent commitment to it.”