Former British No 1 Dan Evans has said he "genuinely thinks Emma Raducanu will win Wimbledon one day", but maintained she needs to be on the court more often.
The 23-year-old has been in the public eye for half a decade after rising to stardom as a teenager. Her US Open victory in 2021 saw her profile skyrocket as she broke numerous records on the way to claiming the title in New York.
That success brought huge expectation, and Raducanu has not reached those heights since. She has not made a Grand Slam quarter-final beyond her US Open triumph, but Evans still sees her as talented enough to claim one of the sport's biggest honours.
Evans on Raducanu's mentality
Speaking to the Telegraph, Evans said: "She's good, and I think – I'm saying this in as nice a way as possible – I think she thinks she's good. Not in an arrogant way, but when she plays big matches, she's like 'Whatever. This is just another match.' And yeah, I just think one day she'll get it.
"The crowd can play such a big part in tennis and you have to keep yourself together on Centre Court, because it's a daunting place to go and play. But she looks like she loves it out there."
Raducanu's best result at Wimbledon has been the fourth round, which she has reached twice. Last year she showed she could compete with the elite, bringing the best out of Aryna Sabalenka when they met on Centre Court.
Injuries and coaching changes
Injuries have plagued her career, while she has also struggled to settle on a coach, which has drawn criticism. Evans insisted Raducanu would need to spend more time honing her talent if she wants to realise her potential.
"There's no doubt she needs to have a racket in her hand a bit more," he said. "I'm sure she's getting pushed side-to-side by endorsements, and there's a bit of tug of war on what she needs to do, what she doesn't. I admit I've not watched her practices very often, but from what I'm told she's a good trainer: she works for two, three hours in a row with hardly any break."
Other former players weigh in
Tim Henman, another former British No 1, believes Raducanu has it in her to win another Grand Slam. "When you've done it once, you know it's possible to do it again. But ultimately, it all comes down to the process and the daily work," he said.
Last year, Mark Petchey, who served as her interim coach for a period, said it "won't be easy" for Raducanu to win another major title, but believes it is possible if she changed her baseline game against the "big hitters".
