Emma Raducanu news: Former player doesn’t think the Brit’s current form should be alarming

Emma Raducanu

Emma Raducanu hasn’t had an amazing start to her first full season on the WTA Tour, but former British player Barry Cowan doesn’t think this should be a cause for concern.

The 19-year-old started the year by losing in the first round of the Sydney Tennis Classic warm-up event and then bowing out after the second round of the Australian Open before her latest flop at the Abierto Akron Zapopan.

She was also due to play in the Monterrey Open which starts on February 28 but the British No 1 has been forced to pull out of the competition because of a left hip injury she sustained in her tie against Daria Saville last week in Guadalajara.

“We all have to make sure that we’re not knee-jerking our reactions just because Emma loses a match, there’s so much tennis ahead of her,” Cowan told Sky Sports.

“But I will always say, and I’m not just putting Emma Raducanu in that but across the sport, if you take your eye off the ball whoever you are then things can go wrong very quickly.

“That’s why I say you’ve got to be consistent in what you’re doing and have a consistent team around you and then when you have that and then you combine that with the talent and the mentality that she has you’re going to win tennis matches, and if you’re going to win tennis matches, you’re going to win titles.”

With Indian Wells just a matter of weeks away, it’s not looking promising that the world No 12 is going to fit enough to compete or even get beyond the opening round.

But all this could just be teething problems in her first two months on the tour and her coach Torben Beltz could be the one to lead her to glory later on in the season.

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