Rising star Raducanu needs qualifying rounds, argues Henman

Former Britain’s number one player Tim Henman believes that Emma Raducanu deserves to go through a ‘qualifying’ round stage to plain in the main draw of different events after a disappointing outing at the US Open. The fourth and final Grand Slam of the year began on Monday where players from all over the world are currently participating to showcase their talent and secure the ultimate prize.

One of the big results in the first-round saw Raducanu crash out of the event after losing to 2020 Australian Open winner America’s Sofia Kenin with a score of 6-1, 3-6, 6-4. Former Britain’s number one Henman, who has been working for Sky Sports, was quoted in a report by Daily Express where he highlighted one of the reasons why Raducanu has struggled in the ongoing campaign. The 49-year-old was of the opinion that perhaps the 21-year-old deserves to go through a qualifying round phase to book her place in the main round of different competitions.

“This has all been a rebuilding process when she's coming back from the surgeries,” she said. “When she has played she has played very well. That was a big chunk of the summer to miss. Obviously they were big tournaments and she wasn't a direct acceptance [into the main draw] but in hindsight she probably should have been in qualifying to get those match reps under her belt. She's learning all the time and fingers crossed she's going to have many more opportunities here at the US Open in the future. I still think her game is moving in the right direction and there are still elements that she can do better.”

Raducanu broke onto the scene back in 2021 when she lifted the US Open title at the age of just 18. The most impressive aspect of that triumph was the fact that she started the competition through the qualifying round and still managed to go all the way and win the title after beating Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-3.