Sue Barker gives Emma Raducanu stern advice as Brit gears up for Wimbledon

British tennis legend Sue Barker has given Emma Raducanu some stern advice as she prepares to return to the Wimbledon court. It’s two years since Raducanu last featured at the All England Club, having been absent for the 2023 edition. Her last Wimbledon appearance came in 2022 when the former US Open winner was knocked out in the second round by Caroline Garcia. And having qualified for this year’s edition via a wildcard pick, pressure is on the 21-year-old to perform.

But former Wimbledon semi-finalist Barker believes Raducanu has had to deal with ‘unrealistic expectations’ since winning her first Grand Slam in 2021. Speaking ahead of this summer’s championship, Barker told The Telegraph: “After New York, I think people had unrealistic expectations because we in tennis know how many young first-time champions there have been – [Bianca] Andreescu, [Jelena] Ostapenko, [Sofia] Kenin – who have had to adjust.

“The media pressures are more than it ever was in any other era. But now that all those expectations have lowered, I hope she can just start enjoying it again because when she burst onto the scene at that first Wimbledon she was a breath of fresh air. “If she could just learn to love to play again – rather than feeling ‘I’ve got to win because otherwise I’m going to get criticized’ – I think she’ll turn it all around.”

There’s no shying away from the fact it’s been a difficult couple of years for the starlet.
In her six Grand Slam appearances since the 2021 US Open triumph, Raducanu is yet to make it past the second round. However, Baker insists the lifestyles enjoyed by modern-day tennis means Raducanu will be afforded the time and space to work on performances and try to get back to her best.

The former BBC pundit added: “You know, there are sacrifices in everything in life. Today they don’t have to play as much as we used to. If you went to Australia, you had to make it worthwhile by staying there for eight weeks. “If you went to America, you had to play six tournaments. Nowadays, you can fly back, fly there, fly there, so you have plenty of off time.

“[For Raducanu] I know there’s been some injuries, but I don’t think she’s played that many tournaments this year. So you do have time for that off life as well as the on. Honestly, the rewards far outweigh the sacrifices.” Wimbledon gets underway on July 1, with the women’s final taking place on July 13.