Tim Henman predicts Raducanu’s ranking surge: “She’ll be back in the biggest and best events”

Tim Henman predicted that Emma Raducanu will finish the year even higher in the rankings and will soon be seeded again in Grand Slams. The 2021 US Open champion recently returned to the top 100 after reaching the 4th round at Wimbledon.

Raducanu faced criticism a couple of months ago when she decided to skip the French Open qualifiers and focus on her preparation for the grass-court swing. However, the decision paid off as she reached the semifinals at the Nottingham Open, the quarterfinals at the Eastbourne International, and the fourth round at Wimbledon.

Tim Henman backs Raducanu’s return to the top

Her recent results during the grass-court swing allowed her to return to the top 100 after 15 months. The Brit finished 2023 ranked World No. 298, but she has quickly climbed the rankings, now positioned at No. 72.

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Criticism resurfaced when Raducanu decided to decline the offer to play at the Olympic Games with a wild card. According to the former World No. 10, the transition to clay courts was a key factor in her decision to skip Paris 2024.

“Her challenges have been well documented since she won the US Open, but the level of play she has shown this year confirms she is absolutely moving in the right direction,” commented Tim Henman to Tennis 365. “I have no doubts that she will have some big results in the future.”

“When you look at her ranking and her position in the WTA Race and realise the limited number of tournaments she has played, it emphasises her quality,” he added. “She hasn’t played a full 12 months since coming back from injury so let’s give her some time.”

Emma Raducanu at 2024 Wimbledon.

“If she can play for a full 12 months, she will be back in the biggest and best events, and she will be seeded once again in the Grand Slams before long, and she won’t have to worry about her schedule,” the former World No. 4 said. “She had a real chance at Wimbledon as the draw opened up, but the strength in depth in the women’s game is great now.

“The way Raducanu came through qualifying to win the US Open was just fantastic, and you can see the inspiration she provided for young players, especially in Britain,” stated Henman. “We’ve just seen Andy Murray retire, and having players like Andy and Emma inspiring our junior players is vital to bringing through the next champions.

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“When you reflect on the last 25-30 years of the LTA, they have rightly had some criticism that they haven’t produced enough players on the performance side,” he claimed. “Now, when you look at the strength in depth of British players, it has improved massively on both the men’s and women’s side. So that’s where they deserve a lot of credit.

“Leadership comes from the top, and I think Scott Lloyd (LTA CEO) has really got a good structure in place, and there is a really positive vibe about British tennis,” Tim Henman added. “Performance and participation are two different areas, but they are connected. The more people you can get to play the game, the more we have with the bat and ball in hand, it has to be a good thing.

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