The harsh reality of the competitive tennis world is hitting home for Emma Raducanu, the British tennis star who swept to an unprecedented victory at the US Open in 2021. The prodigy has been advised to recalibrate her objectives following a rocky start to the 2025 season. With a series of setbacks casting a shadow over her career since her impressive Grand Slam triumph, the world’s 55th ranked player has been grappling to regain her top form.
Her track record this season shows a disappointing 3-6 in matches – a stark contrast to the highs of her historic US Open victory. Fans of the former world No. 10 and Major champion are now merely hopeful of seeing her claw her way back into the top 20 rankings.
Four years since her US Open glory, Raducanu’s highest achievements have been reaching the semi-finals in Seoul, 2022, and Nottingham, 2024. The inconsistencies in her game, compounded by a series of injuries and coaching adjustments, have dealt significant blows to her performance.
The current season has been particularly challenging for Raducanu, who made it to the third round of the Australian Open, only to follow it up with a career-worst losing streak of four consecutive defeats. Her latest setback was an early departure from the tournament in Indian Wells.
Tennis enthusiasts voiced their opinions on what would constitute a successful 2025 season for Raducanu. The 22-year-old, once ranked as high as No. 10 globally, has seen expectations diminish after a couple of difficult years. Almost half (47%) of Express Sport readers opine that her aim should be to re-enter the top 20. Another 43% believe that securing a title would signify a successful year for the young player, while a mere 10% feel she should target a Grand Slam quarter-final.
While these goals are within her reach, the reduced expectations serve as a sobering reminder of her current inconsistency. The tennis community is also rallying behind another British player, Jack Draper, currently ranked ATP No. 14. A majority (58%) of readers predict that he will surpass Raducanu’s accomplishments, winding up his career with more Slam titles.
Raducanu herself acknowledges the need for improvement in light of her recent slump. Reflecting on her defeat in Indian Wells, she revealed, “I’ll need to improve starting the point… I think I can do that a lot better. I guess being more aggressive and having a better quality of shot going forward into the court more. I think I could improve every area of my game, to be honest after today’s performance. But yeah, I think everything, to be honest.”
To say that Raducanu’s journey has been a rollercoaster would be an understatement. From an exhilarating high at the US Open to a string of disappointments, the tennis world watches with bated breath as she fights to re-establish her game and return stronger than ever.