Tim Henman has acknowledged that Emma Raducanu “does it differently” but says she needs to build physical resilience after a run to the quarter-finals of the Miami Open.
Raducanu’s impressive Florida tournament came to an end at the hands of fourth seed Jessica Pegula in which she pushed the eventual runner-up all the way in a high-quality three-set match.
Despite the loss, Raducanu’s run to the final eight, which included an impressive win against top-10 player Emma Navarro, marked her best performance in a tournament since being crowned 2021 US Open champion.
Tim Henman and Marion Bartoli spoke to host Gigi Salmon about Emma Raducanu’s impressive Miami Open run
Former British men’s No 1 Tim Henman says the 22-year-old played some brilliant tennis in Miami.
“It’s been great that she’s competed a lot more this year after Australia. She’s played three or four tournaments but the results haven’t been there. But I think that when you’re putting in that hard work in the gym with a physical trainer, I thought her movement both sort of offensively and defensively looked fantastic,” Henman told Sky Sports Tennis.
“The turning point was the Emma Navarro match. I think to beat a top-10 player would have given her a lot of confidence. The four wins she had bodes well moving forward. So many positives for her to take on from Miami.”
Bartoli: Raducanu is physically close to her best level
Martina Navratilova and Henman were impressed with Raducanu’s resilience during her defeat to Jessica Pegula
Former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli has been impressed with the way Raducanu has handled herself after being targeted by a man who ‘exhibited fixated behaviour’ in Dubai. She was then beaten in straight sets by Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima at Indian Wells.
“Even against Pegula, it was such a close match. Yes, she ended up losing it at the end, but it’s not like she got thrashed out of the court,” said Bartoli, the former world No 7.
“When you’re capable of reproducing those kind of qualities of tennis as well, that shows you that physically you’re ready, mentally you’re ready as well.
“From my point of view, coming back after what happened in Dubai, being able to regroup, get herself going and put aside the disappointment from Indian Wells when it didn’t really go her way, she still kept on putting the hard work and believing into what she’s doing. And as Tim was mentioning, the way she’s been moving on the court, you really feel physically she has been coming back close to probably her best level. That being at the US Open, the year she won, and she’s very close to it.
“She’s building some momentum ahead of the clay, where the rally will be extended, and you want to be physically ready for that.
“So being able to just get that last hard-core tournament in Miami with some good vibes, with some positives to take away, repetitively as well, it’s really positive.”
Henman: Building physical resilience is most important thing
Henman believes that Raducanu can take a lot of positives away from the Miami Open
Raducanu parted company with coach Vladimir Platenik after just one match working with him in Indian Wells before teaming up with her former mentors Jane O’Donoghue and Mark Petchey, allowing her to thrive in Miami.
Henman says it will be interesting to see what Raducanu’s next move is as she turns her attention to the clay swing.
He said: “She talks about having fun and being authentic, that gives her the opportunity of expressing herself on the court. That being said, she does it differently. She is very comfortable. She’s changed coaches.
“That’s not necessarily what everyone else likes to do, but she’s comfortable changing that up.
“But for me, as Marion touched upon, building physical resilience, I think is the most important thing. That is what has been lacking because she’s almost had her career back to front, qualifying, winning that Grand Slam without really the physical foundation.
“When her body was breaking down, when she was in competition. I think the big positive this year is that she’s been able to compete more consistently and hopefully the results are going to come.”
Highlights of Raducanu’s match against Jessica Pegula from the quarter-final of the Miami Open
Raducanu will head to the Netherlands as she will represent Great Britain in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifying round with ties scheduled against the Dutch and Germany from April 10-12. She will then join the likes of Elina Svitolina and Sofia Kenin for the Open Capfinances Rouen Metropole. The clay-court WTA 250 event starts on April 14.
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