Tim Henman believes Emma Raducanu will bounce back from her disappointing US Open exit, despite the tennis star facing scrutiny.
Raducanu was beaten in three sets by Sofia Kenin on Wednesday, with the 21-year-old yet to advance to the second round of the US Open since winning the competition three years ago.
The tennis star’s schedule has been analysed in the short time since her exit, with many unhappy that she opted to play in just one hard-court tournament prior to the final Grand Slam of the year.
But Henman, speaking to Sky Sports, has defended Raducanu and expressed a belief that she’ll be able to bounce back.
Emma Raducanu: Tim Henman has backed the tennis star to bounce back from her US Open exit
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“I still think her game is moving in the right direction,” said the former British No 1.
“It’s certainly not the last we’ll see of Raducanu.
“Fingers-crossed she’s going to have many more opportunities here at the US Open in the future.
“It’s all a rebuilding process as she comes back from the surgeries [in 2023]. When she has played, she has played very well.”
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Former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli has also opened up on Raducanu.
She felt the tennis star ‘didn’t look comfortable’ during her defeat to Kenin, while also saying she ‘was almost not present on the court’.
“I felt that the first set for Emma went by in a flash, she was almost not present on the court,” she said.
“And then when you’re already one set down against someone who has been able to win a Grand Slam in the past, on a hard court and who loves these kinds of conditions, it’s such a difficult task.
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“Kenin was constantly rushing Emma, constantly on the front foot, dictating most of the play from the back of the court, specifically to disturb Emma, who never looked comfortable out there.”
Raducanu will now have to go back to the drawing board.
She admitted she felt ‘down’ and ‘sad’ after seeing her hopes of winning the US Open go up in smoke.
And Raducanu has vowed to learn from the experience as she looks to become a Grand Slam champion once again.
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Emma Raducanu: Tim Henman believes tennis star is heading in the right direction despite her US Open defeat
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“I’m just going to go back to the drawing board and train and analyse where I went wrong and try and improve for the rest of the season,” she said.
“Obviously, the slams are over for this year, but it’s not actually that long until Australia comes around again.”
Raducanu also admitted that she should have played more before the US Open, having not played a competitive match in 25 days prior to her exit.
“I would have preferred to probably play a little bit more before coming into the US Open,” she said.
Emma Raducanu: Sofia Kenin beat the Briton at the US Open earlier this week
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“I know when I have a lot of matches, just like every player, you feel really good, you feel like everything’s automatic.
“I can learn from it. And, you know, manage my schedule slightly differently.
“It wasn’t just me. It was more of like a collective call and that’s what happened, and I can’t really change it.”