Tim Henman reveals one key thing Emma Raducanu must do to win her second major title after Aus Open exit
Tim Henman has urged Emma Raducanu to ‘get the balance right’ between aggression and making unforced errors if she is to win a second major title.
British No.1 Raducanu sensationally won the US Open in 2021 as a qualifier but has not reached the third round of a Grand Slam since and crashed out in the second round of the Australian Open on Wednesday to American Coco Gauff.
There were plenty of positives for the 20-year-old, though, who produced a strong performance against one of the best current players in women’s tennis and was agonisingly close to forcing a deciding third set – missing two set points.
Raducanu slipped from world No.10 to world No.77 after a poor 2022 campaign in which she struggled with both form and injury but looks a new player in the early stages of 2023 and says she is targeting a second trophy on the WTA Tour.
She did, however, make 42 unforced errors against world No.7 Gauff and it is clearly an area she must work on if she is to win another major title, with her next opportunity coming when the French Open rolls around at the end of May.
‘Emma has unbelievable ball-striking skills and great technique,’ former British star Henman told Eurosport.
‘That’s why she qualified and won the US Open; she has the ability she has. But you have to get the balance right between being aggressive and making unforced errors.
‘[Coco Gauff has] more tournaments, more training, more durability under her belt. She was able to stay in and win the longer exchanges.
‘Hopefully this is another important learning curve for Raducanu. To play in this environment against the top players… she can see the level.
‘Emma was the one dictating a lot of these points, but she still has to build up the physicality to stay in the rallies longer and make sure she doesn’t make unforced errors.
‘If she does that, she can win big matches in the big tournaments, and big titles again.’
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