John McEnroe offers brutal Emma Raducanu assessment as BBC pundit left 'befuddled'
Emma Raducanu has left John McEnroe scratching his head before the US Open.
John McEnroe has admitted he has no idea how Emma Raducanu will fare upon her return to the US Open next week. The 21-year-old will face Sofia Kenin in the opening round at Flushing Meadows as she looks to repeat her title heroics from three years ago.
Raducanu has played just three matches since Wimbledon, having been denied wildcards at the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open. She skipped the Olympics before reaching the quarter-finals of the Washington Open, where she was beaten by Paula Badosa in the quarter-finals.
In an interview with Tennis365, McEnroe said that he was struggling to assess Raducanu's chances at the US Open given her unpredictability over the last few months.
Related articles
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
"Sometimes I see her and it looks like she is heading back towards the top of the game and then other times I’m a bit befuddled about what’s going on," said the BBC pundit. "I’m not close to her team and what is going on, but I hope she is healthy.
"There were a couple of matches at Wimbledon and she looked really good and then in the last one, she looked really shaky. It’s hard to know what to say about her. I don’t really know. She is certainly in a better space and healthier than she was a year ago, so that’s good, but I don’t know where she is mentally.
"Does she have that absolute belief and commitment to win something big again or be in the top 10? That I can’t say."
Raducanu produced one of the great sporting stories when she became the first British woman since Virginia Wade to win the US Open in 2021. While it seems unlikely that she will be able to replicate those heroics this year, stranger things have happened.
Don't miss...
Aryna Sabalenka calls for major change at US Open after Jack Draper controversy [INSIGHT]
Shelby Rogers announces retirement from tennis after US Open with statement [LATEST]
Jannik Sinner 'dismisses two members of staff' at heart of doping controversy [NEWS]
Questions have been asked about her lack of matches in the build-up to the US Open but Laura Robson believes that will suit her just fine, saying earlier this month: "She’s not a player who needs a huge amount of matches going into a big event.
"I think we’ve seen that before, where she might play the week before, just to get some fine-tuning done, but she really enjoys the training block and plays her best tennis when she’s coming off a really strong couple of weeks of practice.
"It’s a really good sign that, yes, she’s had a few matches and has some confidence and some wins under her belt, but also has the chance to get to New York feeling as fresh as possible, whereas everyone else is probably feeling a bit shattered already."
