2016 Rio Olympics gold medalist Monica Puig believes Emma Raducanu is “a very talented player” but noted the 20-year-old Briton still “needs time to develop and find her identity on the court.” Raducanu did something that no player was ever before able to do – she was just 18 when she became the first-ever qualifier to win a Grand Slam.
But since the 2021 US Open, Raducanu hasn’t won any titles and she has faced lots of criticism and scrutiny for her form and results. “I saw her many times courtside during the US Open when she did win that title and she is a very talented player.
Physically, she’s still very young. I’m not going to say she’s already a very established player with a lot of experience. She won that US Open title having not played many WTA events and she hasn’t had a full calendar. She still needs time to develop and time to find out who she is as a tennis player, who she is as a person and I can sympathise with her because when I won the Olympics it came out of nowhere,” Puig told Sky Sports.
Raducanu is playing in Austin later this month
After exiting the Australian Open in the second round, Raducanu signed up to compete at the inaugural ATX Open in Austin, Texas. “Hey Austin, it’s Emma. I’m very much looking forward to coming and playing the tournament there.
I’ve heard so many great things about the city and I’m really looking forward to checking out myself. Hopefully I’ll see you there,” Raducanu said in a video message she posted on her Instagram Story. The inaugural ATX Open is taking place between February 27 – March 05.
The ATX Open is from the WTA 250 category and it could be a perfect chance for Raducanu to make a strong form ahead of the WTA 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami.
