"It's going to be the first time in a while where Emma can really let loose": McEnroe believes Gauff win would be important for Raducanu's confidence

Emma Raducanu will take on Coco Gauff at the Australian Open and John McEnroe broke down the matchup and what it would mean for either player to win.

Raducanu and Gauff both shined in the first round to book this mouth-watering second-round clash. McEnroe is very excited about the clash because Emma Raducanu won't have any pressure in that one. All the pressure will be on Gauff and that could help Emma let loose a bit more than usual:

“It will probably be the first time in a couple of years where Emma Raducanu won't be feeling the type of pressure she's been feeling since she won the US Open. So that's probably a good thing to allow her to be more free and do her thing, because to me she's the type of player, the type of person and the type of talent that we could use in the top 10.”

Read also

Swiatek on dealing with expectation: "Sometimes they're not treating you as a human, but like a robot"

McEnroe admitted it was hard to watch Raducanu struggle last year:

“It's been hard to watch her difficulties. But she's playing someone who's gone at a slower pace and matured more gradually – Gauff is only 18 but has been on the tour for years. It’s a great second-round match-up and I think it's going to be the first time in a while where Emma can really let loose and play more free. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens there."

He added:

“I think Coco is in the better position right now to make a deep run and I think it's going to be soon that she's going to win a major event in the next year or two at the most. To me she goes in as a heavy favourite. She seems to be playing better and better and serving more consistently than she has done. I would say that it's a match she should win, but a match that could put Raducanu back on the map again, which would be good for her.”

Read also

Play suspended at Australian Open for a time due to extreme heat