Emma Raducanu shot to fame in 2021, winning the US Open and becoming a household name almost overnight.
The then-18-year-old came out of nowhere, beating Leylah Fernandez to become the first qualifier ever to win a Grand Slam title.
In doing so, Raducanu also ended a long wait for British women’s tennis, becoming the first player from the UK to win a major singles title since Virginia Wade at Wimbledon in 1977.
Since that breakthrough in New York, she hasn’t been able to build on it. Raducanu has yet to reach another WTA Tour-level final, let alone pick up another trophy.
While her US Open run was incredible, there’s an argument that it may have ended up holding back her development. That level of expectation can weigh heavily on any young player trying to establish themselves.
Emma Raducanu’s US Open win was ‘too soon’ in her career, says Mark Woodforde
Mark Woodforde, a 12-time Grand Slam doubles champion from Australia, has spoken about the challenges of early success in tennis and how it relates to Emma Raducanu’s career.
The former world number 19 also spoke about the difficulties that come with winning a major so early in your career and he doesn’t believe she should be judged on what she did at Flushing Meadows back then.
“We shouldn’t judge her on that one result at the US Open,” Woodforde told Tennis365.
“If she can replicate what she did in New York, that would be brilliant, but it was probably something that happened too soon, too quickly in her career.
“It’s not that you wouldn’t want it to happen to you, but in a country that has been starved of female players and desperate for her to do well, it must have been very difficult for her.”
Raducanu’s rise to fame brought more than just trophies – there was pressure from sponsors as well. She later explained how these expectations affected her ability to train consistently after her breakout year.
The noise around her performances grew louder after injury issues kept her out of tournaments for long stretches between 2023 and 2024. She withdrew from Roland Garros qualifying during this period and then missed Wimbledon shortly afterwards due to another setback.
When asked about Raducanu’s time away from the sport back then, Katie Boulter didn’t hesitate when talking about what happened: “She went missing.”
Raducanu’s most recent Grand Slam appearance as a seed
Following her breakout win at the 2021 US Open, Emma Raducanu entered the 2022 Australian Open with high expectations.
Starting out as the 17th seed, she made an early statement by beating Sloane Stephens 6-0, 2-6, 6-1 in her opening match.
But her time in Melbourne was cut short in the second round, where she fell to Danka Kovinic in three sets: 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
Sofia Kenin went on to claim the title that year, overcoming Garbine Muguruza in a hard-fought final.
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