Former British No. 1 Greg Rusedski believes Emma Raducanu made a key misstep in her career after her rapid rise to fame, arguing that frequent coaching changes held her back following her stunning US Open victory in 2021.
Raducanu shocked the tennis world at just 18 years old by winning the US Open as a qualifier. Ranked 150th at the time, she came through three qualifying rounds and then swept through the main draw without losing a single set, becoming the first qualifier in history to win a Grand Slam title.
Despite that dream start, the now 23-year-old has struggled to recreate the same level of success. She has not reached a WTA final since her breakthrough in New York, and her career has been marked by regular changes in her coaching setup—something that has drawn criticism from fans and analysts.
Speaking to *Tennis365*, Rusedski said Raducanu’s overnight stardom created unique challenges and suggested her lack of stability behind the scenes slowed her progress.
“She went from zero to superstar incredibly fast, and that’s not easy to manage,” Rusedski explained. “She achieved the hardest thing in tennis straight away—winning a Grand Slam. That will always be hers. But with that came huge fame and sponsorships, which anyone would accept. Where she went wrong was with the coaching. Changing coaches so often didn’t help. To develop properly, you need consistency and a clear direction, and she didn’t have that.”
In 2025, Raducanu briefly worked with Mark Petchey before bringing in Francisco Roig, a former coach of Rafael Nadal, in August. Her form improved under Roig, and she ended the season ranked world No. 29. Rusedski believes that renewed stability played a major role in her return to the top 30.
“The reason she’s back inside the top 30 now is because she’s finally had some continuity,” he said. “It started with Mark Petchey joining her team earlier in the year and continued with Francisco Roig coming in. That consistency is something she must hold onto.”
Raducanu finished the 2025 season with a 28–22 win-loss record, with her strongest performance coming at the DC Open, where she reached the semifinals. She also snapped her US Open drought by winning matches in the main draw after previous early exits.
Looking ahead to 2026, Rusedski is optimistic but expects more from the former world No. 10. He believes Raducanu should aim for a top-20 ranking and begin collecting titles, even if they come at smaller tournaments.
“She’s back to a solid ranking without even playing a full schedule,” he said. “I expect her to move into the top 20 next year. The next step is winning trophies. She needs to make finals and start building momentum by winning the smaller events on tour.”
Raducanu ended her 2025 season early in October due to illness and is set to return to action at the United Cup in Australia, which begins on January 2, marking the start of her 2026 campaign.
