"With her physique, she might not ever be at that level" - Tim Henman advises physical changes for Raducanu to compete with best in world

It is fair to say that Emma Raducanu has not risen to the insane levels that many had foreshadowed after her incredible US Open success back in 2021. The British number one has endured a rollercoaster ride of a career so far, with many horizons proving to be false. If she is going to make it to the top of the sport, Tim Henman has advised Raducanu to go down a similar route to some of these players.

Year 2026 has had the same ups and downs fans usually experience when following Raducanu. Her United Cup debut, in which she had Henman as her captain, was delayed slightly due to injury, with her only match coming in a defeat to Maria Sakkari. A huge upset in the quarterfinals of the Hobart International saw her lose remarkably to Taylah Preston, who was ranked outside the world top 200 at the time, with Raducanu travelling to Tasmania as the number one seed.

A second-round exit in the Australian Open was the last straw between her and coach Francisco Roig, with the pair parting on good terms as Raducanu looked to get back to playing the tennis that she wanted to. This seemed to work under the supervision of Alexis Canter, with the 23-year-old reaching the final of the Transylvania Open, her first since the US Open. Unfortunately, she was defeated by a rampant Sorana Cirstea before going on to endure a torrid Middle East swing, with her failing to pick up a win from both WTA 1000 events in Doha and Dubai.

That being said, a chest infection held her back from reaching a higher level on the court. Now fit and healthy, Raducanu has her eyes firmly on a positive showing over in the USA with another brace of WTA 1000 tournaments ready to be tackled in the hope that she can reap the rewards and climb the rankings, with Indian Wells up first. It is set to be her sixth consecutive appearance at the tournament, making it by far her most competed in WTA 1000 competition.

Henman has worked before with Raducanu, as mentioned at the United Cup, so will have some insight on what strengths and weaknesses she has, including what she could improve.

"She has to become physically more resilient to be stronger and faster to then compete with the biggest hitters and the best players," he said, drawing comparisons to the best players in the world.

"You look at the physicality of a (Aryna) Sabalenka, a (Iga) Swiatek, a Coco Gauff, a (Elena) Rybakina, Emma's not at that level. And to a certain extent, with her physique, she might not ever be at that level, but she's got to close the gap."

The data backs up Henman's assessment. While Raducanu’s first serve consistently clocks in the 105–110 mph range, she faces a significant power gap against elite hitters like Sabalenka and Rybakina, who frequently leverage their superior mass to push those speeds toward 118–122 mph, effectively taking time away from the Brit before the rally even begins.

The best players in the world can hit the ball a lot harder, giving them the edge on court and boosting their chances to win points, especially ones at hugely important moments. The likes of Sabalenka and Rybakina both boast huge serves and can unleash a wicked forehand, something that Raducanu cannot do at that level. Never referenced as a power player, Raducanu is aggressive at the baseline with more accurate shots.

She could get to this level if she were finally able to partner up with a coach and stick with them for a long period of time. She is now looking for a 10th coach, still not satisfied with anyone that she has worked with to be by her side for the long term. Canter is still by her side in Indian Wells, while she can also call on Mark Petchey in between broadcasting duties to give advice, with the Brit already having two separate spells with her.

"I worked with three coaches in 15 years. I liked consistency and continuity, but that's not what Emma does," Henman stated, sharing the differences between the pair. The former British number one tried to pinpoint an accurate solution. "I wonder whether in some respects she's better off without a coach and accepts the responsibility and just plays. I don't know what she'll do next, and she probably doesn't either."

Anastasia Zakharova is her first test in the second round at Indian Wells, with Amanda Anisimova a possible clash in the third round. As well as that, Raducanu is venturing into doubles, partnering up with Elena-Gabriela Ruse with an unfortunate draw against the third seeds and double specialists Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend.

The potential third-round meeting with Amanda Anisimova serves as a direct test of Henman's theory. Anisimova, who has redefined her own physicality to rejoin the world's Top 10 in 2026, possesses the raw power that Raducanu currently lacks. If Raducanu can neutralize that power with the baseline accuracy Henman highlighted, it would prove she can compete with the elite even before her physical 'gap' is fully closed.