"I can’t figure out": Andy Roddick questions Emma Raducanu's decision-making after slump in form

Former world number one Andy Roddick believes that one of the reasons behind the struggles of Britain’s young tennis star Emma Raducanu is her decision making. The 21-year-old was once regarded as the next big thing when she lifted the US Open at the age of just 18 in 2021, that too by starting through the qualifying round and going all the way and beat Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the final in straight sets with a score of 6–4, 6–3.

However, Since then, not much has gone right for the former world number 10. In eight appearances in a Grand Slam during the last three years, Raducanu has not managed to play in the quarterfinal or beyond. During that phase, she has struggled with fitness concerns as well. Her most recent outing in a mega-event was in New York, where she was knocked out in the first round of the US Open after losing to former Australian Open champion America’s Sofia Kenin with a score of 6-1, 3-6, 6-4.

Roddick was recently quoted in a report, which stated that, in his opinion, one of the reasons behind Raducanu’s struggles was her decision-making. The one-time Grand Slam winner further stated that it made no sense behind Raducanu’s decision not to play in the qualifying round of any events, especially when someone like Naomi Osaka has decided to play in the qualifying round of the Cincinnati Open.

“I am a fan of hers and I think sometimes she gets treated unfairly and also she doesn’t do herself any favours with scheduling and decisions. I can’t figure out where I’m at with it,” he said. “It’s like she won’t play qualies at all for whatever reason, pulled out of the French [Open] once she had to play qualies and it’s not a good look when someone who has the pedigree of Naomi Osaka decides to play qualies in Cincinnati and she’s not too proud to do it.”