Emma Raducanu has urged her to learn from Roger Federer amid a worrying career slump

Emma Raducanu has been urged to take a leaf out of Roger Federer’s book as questions continue to swirl around her fitness, consistency and long-term future on the WTA Tour. Former British No.1 Greg Rusedski believes the 2021 US Open champion needs more continuity in her training and support system if she is to halt a worrying slide that has repeatedly seen injuries derail her progress.

Raducanu’s triumph in New York five years ago remains one of the most remarkable stories in modern tennis. The Briton became the first qualifier in the Open era to win a Grand Slam title and cruised to the US Open crown without dropping a set. Still, despite the promise she showed as an 18-year-old, she’s still waiting to add a second title to her collection.

The 23-year-old’s career has been interrupted by a series of injuries and frequent changes in her coaching staff, making it difficult for her to gain strength.

Speaking off the court, the former US Open finalist stressed the importance of maintaining consistency off the court on Greg Rusedski’s podcast.

“It depends on how you train, how you manage, what’s going on. I don’t have enough information, but all I know is that we have a lot of talented players in Britain and we have to find a way to keep them healthy.”

“It also helps with the consistency of the team, the consistency of the practices. You can’t take long periods off. Even when you’re on vacation, you still need to hit balls. You still have to go to the gym. You have to keep doing it, because stop starting,” Rusedski said.

FEDERER’S EXAMPLE AND RADUCAN’S FITNESS CONCERNS

Rusedski pointed to Federer’s professionalism and dedication during the peak of his career, arguing that elite players must maintain their routines even during breaks on the circuit.

“I remember when Roger Federer was at his peak and when he went on vacation with his family he was still hitting tennis balls. That’s what you have to do,” added Rusedski.

The 52-year-old indicated that Raducanu’s body was struggling to cope with the physical demands of playing back-to-back matches, especially after her impressive run to the final at Queen’s earlier this summer.

“You need the same approach as the pros. And you need to have that impact and volume. And the problem for Emma at Queen’s was that she played so many back-to-back matches.”

“So she wasn’t trained for her body to be able to do that. You can say it’s bad luck, but sometimes you have to be prepared to play two games in a day and maybe two games against each other.”

RADUCAN’S GRAND SLAM DISAPPOINTMENT CONTINUES

Raducanu’s recent Grand Slam performances have done little to quell concerns about her trajectory. She suffered a first-round shock at the French Open after losing to Argentina’s Solana Sierra in straight sets.

Her grass court season initially looked more encouraging when she reached the final at Queen’s, but injury problems resurfaced. Raducanu was forced to withdraw from Wimbledon on the eve of the tournament after scans revealed an ongoing leg problem had developed into a stress fracture.

Rusedski admitted that the recurring injury problems affecting British players had become a cause for concern.

“I wish her nothing but the best. I want to see her healthy. I want to see all our Brits healthy and going in the right direction. But you also have to look at the sports science behind it because something is wrong when we have so many of them injured all the time.”

For Raducana, the challenge now goes beyond just regaining fitness. Five years after she conquered Flushing Meadows, she’s still searching for the consistency that once made her one of tennis’ brightest stars.

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

17 Jul 2026 18:38 IST