John McEnroe is one of tennis’ most outspoken individuals, and Emma Raducanu one of the sport’s most criticised players.
So, to hear that the former has offered his verdict on the Brit, many might expect the worst.
However, the American was actually relatively tame when delivering his assessment on the 23-year-old, although he did look back on one decision with particular scorn.
After all, following news that Raducanu had re-hired Andrew Richardson as her coach, John McEnroe instead questioned why she ever got rid of him in the first place.
John McEnroe criticises Emma Raducanu’s decision to split with Andrew Richardson in 2021
Speaking to TNT Sports ahead of Roland Garros, he began by admitting: “I was amazed that she got rid of the coach in the first place.”
He continued: “I’m like: ‘Why the hell would you get rid of your coach a couple of weeks or a month after you won the US Open?’ I never understood that.
Do you think Emma Raducanu has made a good decision with this hire?
Could you see her winning another Grand Slam title alongside Andrew Richardson?
“I was surprised because athletes are very superstitious; you don’t change the winning formula. You came from nowhere, and you won this US Open the way she did; it would seem like it would be nonsensical to me to do what she did.”
Emma Raducanu won the 2021 US Open without losing a set, becoming the first player in history to come through qualifying to claim a Grand Slam title. However, just weeks later, the two parted ways.
Raducanu has since said whether she regrets splitting with Richardson, speaking at her press conference ahead of the French Open.
John McEnroe names where Emma Raducanu’s best chance of winning another Grand Slam is
McEnroe was not finished there though, going on to discuss Raducanu’s chances at Roland Garros.
Sadly, he feared for her on the clay, instead proposing the Grand Slam he thinks she has the best chance of repeating her US Open success at.
At which Grand Slam is Emma Raducanu most likely to win a second major title? Let us know why below 👇
The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion stated: “To me, grass would clearly be her more comfortable opportunity against the top players.
“I don’t see her as nearly as comfortable on clay. I think that’s her least-comfortable surface.
“Is it too little, too late? She’s still young. I don’t know physically where she’s at; mentally, there’s a lot of issues that I’m not familiar enough with.
“But I would certainly think that the hope would be to have her, even though there’s a lot more pressure on her in Wimbledon, that she would have a much better chance of doing something big there.”
