Emma Raducanu given ‘blessing in disguise’ as Tim Henman shares 12-month plan
Emma Raducanu was given a “blessing in disguise” after being pressured to bear surgical procedure earlier this yr, in accordance with Sky Sports pundit Tim Henman. And Henman believes the previous US Open champion ought to use her newest harm setback as a possibility to construct up her bodily resilience as he shared his 12-month plan for the 20-year-old.
Raducanu has been hit by a string of harm points since successful the US Open as an 18-year-old in 2021. At the start of May, the ace underwent operations on each her wrists, in addition to an ankle, and hasn’t performed in a match since falling to Jelena Ostapenko within the spherical of 32 on the Stuttgart Open in April.
Raducanu was again on the observe courts initially of this month and shall be seeking to make her return to competitors as quickly as doable, though she received’t seem at this yr’s US Open. And Henman thinks the participant’s enforced absence may change into a constructive as he advised the star to give attention to creating her bodily attributes.
“After Wimbledon I went away with the family and I haven’t spoken to her for a bit so fingers crossed that she’s getting that training, that physical resilience in place,” the four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist stated.
“In my opinion her tennis ability is so outstanding – that will always be there. The challenge for her is to build up this physical resilience. She’s had a difficult time. And that’s where I think the surgeries could be a blessing in disguise – that it gives her the opportunity to put in the real hard yards to build up that physical resilience.
“In 12 months’ time, for argument sake, if Raducanu is not out in tournament play and winning matches I don’t think it will be because she hasn’t got the necessary tennis level. It’s more about the physical resilience.
“Because you can’t achieve what she achieved without being a phenomenal tennis player and a phenomenal athlete. Her journey was almost back to front, she didn’t have that foundation. She just won on pure natural ability and now the demands of the Tour, playing week in week out, competing, puts enormous strain on your body. And she’s got to build up that resilience. And I’m sure she’ll do that.”
And the 48-year-old added: “She’ll be the most disappointed of anyone not to be at the US Open given her history, but being so young there will be so many opportunities ahead of her. So this is a great chance for her to kind of build to give her that foundation to be back on the match courts whenever she’s ready.”
The US Open returns solely to Sky Sports and NOW with entry to all court docket feeds from August 28.