WTA legend Billie Jean King feels Emma Raducanu needs to be given “time and space.” Raducanu, 19, has been in the spotlight ever since she stunningly won the US Open as a qualifier. Since the 2021 US Open, Raducanu hasn’t won any titles.
Throughout this season, Raducanu was struggling with injuries and that negatively impacted her performances. Raducanu was heavily criticized for her play throughout the year, with some calling her “a one-Slam wonder.”
King comes to Raducanu’s defence
“First of all, you can’t pay attention to what anyone says about you. And don’t take anything personally. But then you’ve got to find the right person to talk to.
And that’s the hard part because everyone has an opinion. It’s important for her to find out what she wants in life. She needs to search her own soul. Our job is to give her time and space. Let Emma decide what is best for her, not have everyone else deciding for her.
Glean the information that pertains to her. I hope everybody just backs up. It’s like she has no breathing room. Give her some time to breathe, some space. She’s really young. Give her time”. King told The Herald Scotland.
Last month, British media reported that Raducanu split with coach Dmitry Tursunov after the Russian decided to leave the Briton and start working with another player. Also, it was reported that Raducanu started working with Andy Murray’s former strength and conditioning coach, Jez Green.
In recent weeks, Raducanu has been working out hard in the gym as she doesn’t want to have another injury-plagued season in 2023. But since Green works with Dominic Thiem, her collaboration with Green is probably on a part-time basis.
However, recent reports are suggesting that Raducanu has already benefited a lot from working with Green. It remains to be seen if Raducanu will manage to stay more injury-free in 2023.
