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Emma Raducanu - Stuttgart 2023
British Tennis Players, Emma Raducanu, Serena Williams, Tennis News, WTA Tennis Players

Emma Raducanu offered ‘mental help’ from Serena and Venus Williams’ former coach


Emma Raducanu has been offered support by Rick Macci, who claims he could get the British No.1 ‘back on track’ after a challenging and disrupted start to 2023.

Raducanu has won as many matches as she has lost this season, and after withdrawing from the Madrid Open with a hand injury will drop outside the top 100 for the first time since her 2021 US Open triumph.

Having struggled with fitness since her ‘fairytale in New York’, the 20-year-old has been offered support from Rick Macci who has coached a collection of former No.1’s including the Williams sisters, Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova and Jennifer Capriati.

“I’ve never met her, I would love to work with this young lady,” said Macci. “I could help her mentally, I know I could get this girl back on track.”

Macci continued, “Her life has changed, but that doesn’t mean she has to change. Everything has changed around her, but it’s still her playing tennis. I don’t know her. Is she still that hungry, still that competitive? These are the questions that are going to be asked a lot, because people are always going to assume that’s why she’s not doing as well, because she has other interests, blah, blah, blah.”

“I can’t answer that question, but it has to be about one thing, anybody, anytime, anywhere: a love to compete, and by the way, if I compete well, there’s candy at the end of that. It can’t be the other way around. If it is, you’re not going to be as hungry.”

The 68-year-old believes that confidence is the main thing preventing Raducanu from hitting the same form that made her become the first qualifier in history to win a Grand Slam title.

“When you’re confident, you take it a little early, cut the court, more adventurous, get up to the ball earlier, volley more. That’s what people don’t understand in sports, confidence breeds confidence. Unfortunately, it can go the other way,” explained Macci.

He added, “That’s what I saw about Venus and Serena, they were bulletproof. Nothing fazed them, I could see that. I’d love that opportunity [to work with Raducanu] if it ever came, but I just have to get to know her and what’s in her head because the game is there, but it’s a game of inches. I think in the blink of an eye, this can turn around.”

Since speaking about Raducanu Macci posted to Twitter, “Was asked yesterday during an interview can Emma Raducanu come back. She will come all the way back! Emma can beat anybody anytime anywhere and will win a few Grand Slams. You do not lose the talent. You cannot buy confidence over the internet.”

Emma Raducanu injury woes in 2023

Raducanu had said that her focus over the off-season at the end of 2022 was to focus on her fitness and appointed renowned fitness trainer Jez Green, who has previously worked with Andy Murray.

However, things do not seem to have gone to plan for the young Brit who has had a very disrupted season so far, having only played five tournaments in 2023.

Here are the tournaments Raducanu has withdrawn from this year:

Auckland – Retired in the second round with an ankle injury

Austin – Withdrew before the tournament with tonsillitis

Madrid – Withdrew before the tournament with a hand injury

Due to the severity of the injury being unknown, it is unclear as to whether Raducanu will be able to complete the clay court season in Rome and the second Grand Slam of the year Roland Garros, that begins on the 28th May.

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Matthew Johns, Tennishead Writer, is a professional tennis journalist with a specialist degree in Sports Journalism. He's a keen tennis player having represented his local club and University plus he's also a qualified tennis coach. Matthew has a deep knowledge of tennis especially the ATP Tour and thrives on breaking big tennis news stories for Tennishead.