Serena Williams' ex-coach gives promising verdict on Emma Raducanu to silence doubters
Renowned tennis coach Rick Macci has silenced Emma Raducanu's doubters with a bold prediction. Serena Williams' old mentor has backed Raducanu to return to the top of the game after a tricky few years following her US Open triumph. Once ranked inside the world's top 10, the Brit currently sits at No.
Raducanu has had a rough ride since winning the 2021 US Open as a qualifier. At the time, she was aged just 18 and playing in her fourth professional tournament. But she has never replicated her success, facing numerous setbacks. The biggest came last year when she ended her season in May to undergo three surgeries.
The 21-year-old has shown promising signs since making her comeback in January, though she is yet to go beyond the third round at any tournament this season. She took another big step when she won both of her matches during Britain's Billie Jean King Cup tie against France, beating both Carolina Garcia and Diane Parry from a set down.
And Macci has now tipped Raducanu to get back inside of the world's top 10 within the next year and a half. "You don't lose the skill, but you kind of lose the will and I don't know what's in her head," the Hall of Fame tennis coach told Sportskeeda.
"But, when she plays every point like it's her last breath and she's the ultimate competitor, I can see. I said it before she'll be top 10 in the world by the end of 2025." Raducanu reached a career-high of world No. 10 in July 2022.
Macci also believes that Raducanu will be a Grand Slam title contender once she returns to the elite group of the rankings. He added: "Once you get in that top 10, you can beat anybody anytime anywhere and I really believe that she can win Grand Slams again."
The former coach of the Williams sisters explained that Raducanu likely struggled because she was prematurely thrust near the top of the rankings when she won the US Open having barely played on the professional tour.
"Well, first off, I am a big fan because I think anybody that qualifies for a Grand Slam and then wins a Grand Slam without losing a set. You don't lose talent and you don't lose ability," he continued.
"But, at the end of the day, everything changed around her in the blink of an eye. But absolutely, it takes a long time to get your confidence back." Raducanu herself has spoken about the importance of building foundations this year rather than focusing on results as she looks to play catch-up following a blistering start to her career.
She has already won seven matches so far this season but her ranking has see-sawed when points from the 2023 season fell off. But Raducanu has no more to defend for the rest of the year and can start climbing the ladder once again.