Former world number 1 Jim Courier believes Emma Raducanu could at least reach a semifinal at a Grand Slam next year and he wouldn’t be surprised if she went a step further.
19-year-old Raducanu surprised the tennis world at the US Open in September when she became the first female qualifier in tennis to win a Grand Slam. Since then, Raducanu has appeared in three tournaments and only has two wins.
“Who says she won’t get very far? I can easily see a semi-final for them next year and maybe beyond, but I think the semi-final is a good benchmark if I’m on their team to achieve the goal, “Courier said on Tennis Channel.
Raducanu’s win at the US Open surprised Jo Durie
British tennis legend Durie said she knew Raducanu was talented but never expected her to win the US Open that way.
“It really affected a lot of people. She’s so engaging as a character, easy to see, because she’s such a great player and it’s really inspired a lot of people and gave our game a massive boost, “Durie explained.
“What I’ve seen at Emma over the past few years is someone I knew would be very good, but to win such a Grand Slam, no, I haven’t seen that. That was someone who didn’t play much earlier this year, didn’t even play a match on the WTA Tour and then played the way they did at Wimbledon before we all saw what happened at the US Open.
That wasn’t on the radar, but we can all see the talent there. She works hard, is inquisitive, has a great temper, so let’s celebrate her success. It’s fantastic for Emma and everyone involved in British tennis. “Raducanu has signed former Angelique Kerber coach Torben Beltz for the 2022 season.
