Former British star believes Emma Raducanu could be competitive at US Open - "It's a really good sign"

Despite playing only a handful of games heading into the US Open, Emma Raducanu could put on a show at Flushing Meadows, according to former British No.1 Laura Robson.

Raducanu rose to fame after winning her maiden Grand Slam title at the 2021 US Open, where she gained access to the main draw as a qualifier. The 21-year old has been inconsistent since her biggest victory, as she's struggled with injuries and several coaching changes. However, Robson claims this might be beneficial for the former Grand Slam champion.

Raducanu has not played since reaching the quarterfinals at the DC Open a few weeks ago, having been denied wildcards at the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open. The former World No.10 was said to have rejected the chance to take part in qualifying for the latter, instead opting for a training block ahead of her return to Flushing Meadows.

"She’s not a player who needs a huge amount of matches going into a big event," said Robson in an interview with the PA news agency. "I think we’ve seen that before, where she might play the week before, just to get some fine-tuning done, but she really enjoys the training block and plays her best tennis when she’s coming off a really strong couple of weeks of practice.
"It’s a really good sign that, yes, she’s had a few matches and has some confidence and some wins under her belt, but also has the chance to get to New York feeling as fresh as possible, whereas everyone else is probably feeling a bit shattered already."