Emma Raducanu was dumped out of the French Open in unceremonious fashion, easily beaten by Iga Swiatek.
Losing to the reigning champion is never something to disrespect, and it was always expected that she would struggle.
However, after a strong few months leading up to Roland Garros, there was hope that she might at least be able to put a dent in the game of the five-time Grand Slam winner.
Unfortunately, it seems she still has some way to go, and Chris Evert fears it may be further away than Raducanu will hope.
Chris Evert fears for Emma Raducanu
Speaking to Tennis365 after Emma Raducanu’s exit from the French Open, which came just days after Osaka’s first-round exit from the same event, the American admitted she pitied the duo.
Focusing on the Brit, Evert noted: ‘I just feel she has lost so many years of her career because of the whole thing around the one big win.
Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
‘It’s the same with Naomi (Osaka). You go through so much and all of a sudden you have that one big win.
‘Emma is a beautiful girl and that probably didn’t help. The endorsements came in, the coaches were coming in and out and still her expectations are right up there now.
‘She’s not there yet. She’s got to build, go back to the drawing board and build up slowly. Maybe she had to swallow her pride a little because she’s not up there yet.’
However, she held some hope for the 2021 US Open champion, stating: ‘I think she can get top 10 again. If there is a solid commitment from her, I think top 10 can happen again.
‘You have to remember a lot of people [top players] lost when she won that US Open and the player Emma beat in the final, Leylah Fernandez, had nothing left.
‘Leylah beat three players in the top five. Emma didn’t beat anyone in the top ten. I remember commenting on the match and you could see that.
‘If Leylah had won, her life may have changed forever, but Emma is the one who had to live through that experience. We will never see a qualifier come through and do what she did again, but it was tough for her after that.
Emma Raducanu has had a positive past few months
Although she was brushed aside by Swiatek in their third-round clash at Roland Garros, Raducanu should still take so much confidence from her last few months.
In fact, ever since she partnered with Mark Petchey, she has soared up the rankings and draws ever closer to that elusive sought-after top 32.
Starting their union in Miami, she defeated Emma Navarro and Amanda Anisimova on her way to the quarter-finals, losing in three sets to Jessica Pegula.
Emma Raducanu’s wins vs top 10 playersOpponentRanking of opponentTournamentYearScoreJessica Pegula5Eastbourne20244-6, 7-6 (6), 7-5Maria Sakkari9Wimbledon20246-2, 6-3Emma Navarro10Miami Open20257–6 (6), 2–6, 7–6 (3)
In Madrid, again she took the seeded Marta Kostyuk to three sets in the Round of 32, before making it one step further in Rome where she was comfortably beaten by Coco Gauff.
Raducanu is not losing to poor opponents, but is just not quite on the level yet to consistently compete with tennis’ elite. Crucially, she is keeping healthy, with Raducanu’s fitness always an area of concern.
But, on her day, she has proven more than capable. Heading into the grass-court season, she will be hoping for further progress.
AloJapan.com