Emma Raducanu remains largely untested with the Brit emerging onto the global stage with her US Open triumph from nowhere which added new pressures.
But former World No.26, Casey Dellacqua backs Raducanu to shine at the Australian Open but said from her perspective that the 19-year-old has to adjust as well and accept defeat will come.
"When someone's got it in them to be a Grand Slam champion, I don't think you can ever not talk about them in terms of winning another major. To have that champion mentality and drive, and to do what she's done, she's got it in her," Dellacqua told ausopen.com.
"The women's draw is so open in my mind. There are so many players I've got my eye on, to see where they fit in the draw, see their form after the off-season, how the lead-in events go. The AO is always a tricky one to predict because players are coming in with a kind of clean slate.
"But I definitely think Emma Raducanu's name has to be there, in the picture somewhere, in terms of going deep in the AO."
"She's got her whole career to look forward to. She'll find her feet on tour. She already knows she belongs there. It's now just about getting your teeth stuck into that lifestyle of being a professional tennis player week-in, week-out on tour," Dellacqua added on the pressure to succeed.
"She's going to get (direct) acceptances into all of those (WTA) tournaments. So it's just now about managing that, her body and her mind, and just staying as consistent as possible.
"Also understanding that you're not going to win all the time, you're not going to have a week like the US Open every week on tour (laughter). It's unrealistic to think like that.
"I think her future is bright. She seems so motivated and keen – why wouldn't you be when you've just won the US Open?"
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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