Not a one hit wonder as Casper Ruud predicts 'explosive' return for Emma Raducanu: "She’s a potential to probably win another Slam I think, for sure"

Casper Ruud hailed Emma Raducanu as one of the tennis players with the greatest potential to win a Grand Slam. The Norwegian expressed his belief that if the 21-year-old is in good physical condition, she can leverage her explosive game to become a major contender.

Raducanu played only a few tournaments at the beginning of 2023, with her last appearance at the Stuttgart Open ending in a defeat against Jelena Ostapenko (2-6, 1-6). After being sidelined for nine months due to wrist surgeries, Raducanu is set to make her return to the WTA Tour in 2024 at the Auckland Open, thanks to a wildcard, serving as her preparation for the Australian Open.

The British player had an incredible run at the 2021 US Open, claiming the title from the qualifying rounds (the first player in history to achieve this) and winning ten consecutive matches without dropping a set. Casper Ruud reached his second Grand Slam final in the same tournament, but faced a different fate as he lost to Carlos Alcaraz, missing the opportunity to reach the world No. 1.

Ruud discussed Raducanu's prospects for the upcoming season and her return to the Australian Open: “Is Emma fit again? Is she going to play Australia? She’s a potential to probably win another Slam I think, for sure. If she’s doing a good pre-season,” the Norwegian told The Express.

He praised Raducanu's explosive style of play and highlighted her exceptional movement on the court, comparing her to Iga Swiatek: “[Her game is] explosive. And I think also if you see her moving around on the court, she’s really good. When we watched her win the US Open, that was something that stood out,” Ruud said.

“Her, [Iga Swiatek], I think it’s always impressive with girls that are able to slide around the court because that’s something that is not easy. It requires being fearless in a way and to be able to do it; it requires quite a bit of fitness,” Ruud added. The 3-times Grand Slam finalist concluded that Raducanu possesses all the necessary shots and has significant potential to be a standout player on the WTA Tour: “I saw she was hitting some incredible passing shots on the slide and stuff when she won, so that is what impressed me, and of course she has all the shots in the bag. I think she has potential because she can move well and hit the ball well.”