Mats Wilander has had a sensational tennis career and after hanging up the racquet, he has become one of the premier tennis analysts in the world. Speaking to Eurosport recently he analyzed the career path of Emma Raducanu so far as well as explaining why he is unsure about her hiring Torben Beltz as her coach.
SPeaking on the Brit he said:
“We mustn't forget that it wasn't like we didn't know who she was. We knew she had a huge game. They [young players] need to play the way they want to play, and they need to find out how good they are, and they need to ride the wave of youth and confidence for as far as they can before you start hiring coaches that have helped players to win Grand Slams. She knows how to win a Grand Slam. She won one."
Wlander explained his position further by saying:
“I just feel it's unnecessary to take coaches that have experience when you are dealing with an 18-year-old who is fresh, who is so full of life. We’ve got to let these kids grow up before you try to shape them. Otherwise, there's a very, very big chance that people are going to be what stops Emma from developing into a great player."
Wilander clarified that he knows that Beltz is a great coach but he is not sure that he is needed at this part in Raducanu's career:
"She needs to have fun, she needs to be allowed to do what she wants to do off and on the tennis court, and she needs to develop in her own time and not to force coaches on her. I'm not saying that Torben Beltz is not... he's a great coach, he obviously coached Angie Kerber for a long time. I believe it helped her win Grand Slam tournaments, but Angie Kerber knew how to do that anyway.”