Emma Raducanu just cannot seem to get to a point where she is consistently productive. She is still only 22 years old, but her results over the last couple of years have been far less than desirable. She maintains that she is always working to get better, but then she withdraws from tournaments that might help her reach her goals.
To be sure, she has dealt with a number of injuries, and she has had surgery on ankles and wrists. Some of her poor performances are not due to her lack of ability but her lack of health. There have always been whispers that she cares more about sponsorships than winning tournaments, though.
She also, at times, lacks the self-awareness to know that some matches are more important than she is as a player. She was set to play mixed doubles with a retiring Andy Murray at Wimbledon last year, and the match would have been Murray's last at the grass-court event where he is rightfully seen as an icon, but Raducanu chose herself over Murray and the importance of the moment and she pulled out of playing in the match.
Emma Raducanu trending towards the kind of career that Anna Kournikova had
There is a very real chance that the Brit's career arc is much like that of Anna Kournikova. And no, this article is not a critique of Kournikova or Raducanu as human beings. They might both be fine people. This is about their tennis careers.
Kournikova made tennis news in her career because of her glamorous lifestyle and presence off the court. She was as much a model as a singles player. In fact, she was better in doubles. She never won one event in singles, but won 16 in doubles. She simply did not have the talent to compete with the greater players around her.
Raducanu has won a tournament, and it was an important one. She took the title at the 2021 US Open, but she also did not have to play a player seed in the top 10. In other words, she had one of the easiest paths to the title a player can have. Her winning only one event is telling.
There is also no comparing the levels of success between Raducanu and her contemporaries. The Brit is 22 and has one title. She only reached one final. Meanwhile, 23-year-old Iga Swiatek has won five majors and reached the WTA No. 1 ranking. 20-year-old Coco Gauff has won 10 titles, including a Grand Slam.
Both Gauff and Swiatek appear to be more driven to succeed in the sport currently. They rarely miss tournaments, and there is little doubt they put sponsorships ahead of the game. The same cannot be said of Emma Raducanu.