Emma Raducanu’s former coach, Mark Petchey, thinks the tennis star will never be ‘forgiven’ by some fans for mistakes made earlier in her career as she targets Australian Open glory this month.
The 22-year-old is currently preparing for her showdown with Amanda Anisimova, having overcome 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova on Tuesday.
Raducanu has often struggled for form ever since winning the US Open against all odds in 2021.
Some, consequently, have written her off – while she’s also been accused of focusing too much on sponsorship and brand deals as well.
Emma Raducanu’s former coach, Mark Petchey, thinks the tennis star will never be ‘forgiven’ by some fans for mistakes made earlier in her career as she targets Australian Open glory this month
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Petchey briefly coached Raducanu in 2020 and has now opened up on the tennis star.
He feels she’s in a good place as she bids for Australian Open glory and also thinks she’s got the potential to compete with the very best in the coming months and years ahead.
“I’ve always been high on Emma’s stock,” he exclusively told GB News, via Casino.org.
“She’s always been capable of great things, and I knew it would be bumpy for her after winning the US Open.
“It probably took about a year longer than I thought it would for her to re-find her groove, but I’m still super positive about her potential.
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“Nobody wants to face her, she’s one of the best athletes on the whole of the women’s tour.
“If her game is firing, she’s one of the best returners in the game too.
“Right away, it puts pressure on the server, which will be a key battle to watch out for against Anisimova.
“You’ve got to get through in any fashion, sometimes. That’s what she did in R1. She’s had the injury issues coming into this, but her confidence should be high now.
“You’re never quite sure what to expect coming into a big tournament. I think some of the press coverage on her has been unfair, but some of it has been on the money.
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“Could she have done a few things differently in recent years? Potentially.
“As a youngster, you don’t make mistakes, you learn lessons. That’s what life does to you at this age.
“I’m sure Emma will look back one day and reflect on things that could have been done differently.
“It’s very easy to criticise, but it’s hard to find the solutions in life sometimes. That’s what Emma’s had to do and I hope that she finds a few more answers in Melbourne.
“She’s one of the most charismatic players out there, fun to watch and has a lot of variety in her game.
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Emma Raducanu was briefly coached by Mark Petchey back in 2020
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“Some fans will never forgive her, or will say that she’s going to do X, Y or Z.
“For me, Emma will still be a multiple Grand Slam winner. I can’t put a time frame on it, but I believe she’s going to do it.
“I believe there is great news coming for her soon. It might not be here in Melbourne, but I think we’ll see her up there and competing at the top again.”
Petchey also revealed he was impressed by Raducanu’s performance against Alexandrova on Tuesday, even if the Briton felt her serve had a ‘mind of its own’.
“It was a big win for Emma in round one,” he added.
Emma Raducanu is hoping to win her first Australian Open title this winter
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“I don’t think she played her best, obviously the serve was a bit wayward.
“In her own words, she admitted it had a mind of it’s own, but it can’t in future for too long in tournaments of this quality.
“Too many great players like Anisimova will take advantage of it. Hopefully, that part of her game is tidied up as she plays a massive hitter next up.
“You need the serve to neutralise that threat.”
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