“Top 10 can happen again”: Chris Evert optimistic about Emma Raducanu's future

Chris Evert views Emma Raducanu's current level with optimism and suggests the possibility of her return to the top-10. The British No. 2 fell in the second round of Roland Garros to four-time champion Iga Swiatek, but Evert believes her game is there to climb higher, though she still feels Raducanu needs to take another step forward.

The 18-time Grand Slam champion discussed how quickly the US Open title came for Raducanu – who won her first Grand Slam title with a ranking of just world No. 150 after coming through qualifying. Raducanu's rapid success might have stunted her development, Evert reflected.

“I just feel she has lost so many years of her career because of the whole thing around the one big win,” Evert told Tennis365. “It’s the same with Naomi (Osaka). You could go through so much and all of a sudden you have that one big win.”

“Emma is a beautiful girl and that probably didn’t help. The endorsements came in, the coaches were coming in and out and still her expectations are right up there now,” she added. “She’s not there yet. She’s got to build, go back to the drawing board and build-up slowly. Maybe she had to swallow her pride a little because she’s not up there yet.”

Raducanu has dealt with injuries and coaching changes since her US Open title. Four years after her first major title – and at just 22 years old – she continues to fight to return to the top ranks. However, in the last year, she has made a strong ascent in the rankings, currently sitting at world No. 37, despite not even being in the top-200 a year ago.

“I think she can get top 10 again. If there is a solid commitment from her, I think top 10 can happen again,” Chrissie Evert added. “You have to remember a lot of people [top players] lost when she won that US Open and the player Emma beat in the final, Leylah Fernandez, had nothing left.”

“Leylah beat three players in the top five. Emma didn’t beat anyone in the top ten. I remember commenting on the match and you could see that. If Leylah had won, her life may have changed forever, but Emma is the one who had to live through that experience. We will never see a qualifier come through and do what she did again, but it was tough for her after that.”