Emma Raducanu has suggested she might only have a few years left at the top of tennis, but pundit and former British No.1 Andrew Castle fears she could step away even sooner.
Raducanu, 23, has indicated she will likely be retired 10 years from now if not before. However, her recent injury issues have left Castle concerned about a more sudden exit from the sport.
Castle's Concerns
“Well, put it this way. I mean, I've got no access to that camp whatsoever, but it wouldn't surprise me if one day out of the blue, she just said, you know, ‘I've had enough of all this’,” former BBC Wimbledon commentator Castle told Betway.
“I mean, don't we all say that? She doesn't have an obligation to anybody but herself and her family. That's it.
“There is nothing else. All the sponsors and everybody else, they're not the ones whose career this is. It's her choice, but I mean, I hope she carries on. I would love to see her have three or four years of freedom away from injury, and just to play tennis.”
Injury-Hit Year
Castle's comments came in the middle of an injury-interrupted year for Raducanu. She was forced to pull out of Wimbledon on the eve of the tournament and won't be recovered from injury in time for the US Open.
The British star won her only Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows as a teenager in 2021. However, she told Grazia in June that she couldn't see herself playing well into her 30s.
“I'll probably be retiring [by the age of 33] and hopefully proud of the career I've had in tennis, but also extremely excited for another career,” she said. “I know tennis is one chapter of my life, and it's such a huge part of my current identity, but I have a lot more than just tennis ahead of me.
“I can't wait to delve into another chapter, and to think that my life really starts in my thirties is exciting, even though I will have had a whole tennis career by then.”
Life After Tennis
During the announcement of a partnership with HSBC, Raducanu said she might have pursued a career in finance were it not for her tennis prowess. “We are working on some really cool ideas and I'm particularly looking forward to working on initiatives that help young people, such as financial education, but watch this space,” she added.
Raducanu last stepped out on court in June at Queen's. She lost to Donna Vekic in the final and has needed to be patient in the months since as she works her way back to full fitness.
