Tim Henman's Fitness Warning to Emma Raducanu Ahead of Indian Wells
British tennis legend Tim Henman has issued a stark warning to Emma Raducanu, stating that the young star must significantly improve her physical conditioning if she hopes to climb back to the top of the world rankings. Raducanu is set to compete this week at the prestigious BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, where a strong performance could boost her current world ranking of 24th.
A Turbulent Start to the Season
The 2026 season has begun with considerable disruption for Raducanu, mirroring previous years of instability. She entered the Australian Open underprepared due to a persistent foot injury, subsequently parted ways with coach Francisco Roig, reached her first final since her historic US Open victory at a tournament in Romania, and then battled illness that further hampered her progress.
While much public attention has focused on Raducanu's frequent coaching changes, Henman believes the primary focus should be on intensive gym work and consistent practice sessions to build physical resilience.
Henman's Analysis of Raducanu's Game
"It's still too stop-start," Henman remarked. "She has to become physically more resilient to be stronger and faster to then compete with the biggest hitters and the best players."
Henman acknowledged Raducanu's preferred attacking baseline style but emphasized that enhancing her physical capabilities is the single most critical improvement needed. "If I could add one element to her game, it would only be on the physical side – to get stronger, faster, to hit the ball harder," he explained.
He pointed to the elite physical standards of players like Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Elena Rybakina, noting that Raducanu currently falls short. "Emma's not at that level. And to a certain extent, with her physique, she might not ever be at that level but she's got to close the gap," Henman stated, while expressing confidence that "she can be a lot better" than her current ranking suggests.
Coaching Instability and Future Direction
The split with Roig followed Raducanu's second-round defeat at the Australian Open by Anastasia Potapova, after which she expressed dissatisfaction with her performance under the Spanish coach's guidance. For the Indian Wells tournament, Raducanu has temporarily reunited with Mark Petchey, who served as an ad hoc coach during parts of the previous season, while hitting partner Alexis Canter provides day-to-day support.
Raducanu indicated last month that she is not actively seeking a permanent coach, a approach that Henman finds unconventional. "I worked with three coaches in 15 years, I liked consistency and continuity, but that's not what Emma does," he observed.
Henman, who will be part of Sky Sports' coverage of Indian Wells, questioned the sustainability of the current arrangement. "Petch is someone who's worked with her a few times before and she feels comfortable with Petch but obviously Petch has his broadcasting commitments so that's not going to be a full-time position, that's not going to last long."
He even speculated that Raducanu might benefit from a different approach entirely. "I wonder whether in some respects she's better off without a coach and accepts the responsibility and just plays. I don't know what she'll do next and she probably doesn't either."
Jack Draper's Comeback Challenge
The Indian Wells tournament also represents a crucial fortnight for British compatriot Jack Draper, who is playing only his second ATP Tour event since June 2025 as he defends the biggest title of his career. The 24-year-old was considered one of the most in-form players globally twelve months ago after defeating Carlos Alcaraz en route to the Indian Wells trophy, but a bone bruise in his left arm has significantly disrupted his progress.
Draper made an encouraging return in Dubai last week, suffering a narrow second-round loss to Arthur Rinderknech. Henman emphasized that patience will be essential for Draper's recovery and ranking restoration.
"With the amount of time he's been off and coming back on to the tour, even if he's 100 percent healthy, it will take him time to build up not only match fitness but match toughness," Henman cautioned.
He acknowledged the ranking pressure Draper faces as defending champion but advocated for a long-term perspective. "We all know he won Indian Wells last year and there's 1,000 ranking points and his ranking's probably going to go in the wrong direction but you've got to take a long-term view. He's such a good player that, given time and uninterrupted tournament play, he'll move back up the rankings."
Henman concluded that "staying injury-free and staying patient are the two most important things" for Draper's successful return to top-level competition.
