It’s almost poetic how, as Andy Murray’s career seemed to be drawing to an end, both Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu’s respective rises began.
It marked the end of one incredible era of British tennis, and the start of a hopeful new one.
However, that hope did not take long to turn into something tangible when a 19-year-old Emma Raducanu stormed to the US Open title in 2021 against all the odds.
The first qualifier ever to win a Grand Slam title, she became a star overnight.
Andy Murray is a top ten player of all time… Discuss
And yet, despite all the fanfare and justified celebration of her talents, Andy Murray was keen to avoid giving her advice.
When Andy Murray compared his US Open title to Emma Raducanu’s
Speaking to Sky Sports back in 2021, he actually explained why he refused to advise the British teenager immediately after her win.
After all, Raducanu claimed she wasn’t going to change her style after the win, and whether he agreed or not, Murray justified his self-imposed silence on the matter.
He admitted: “I never really liked it when all of the ex-British players were always wading in after every win and loss about what you should be doing, what you shouldn’t be doing.
“I found it incredibly irritating and still do. I don’t want to be that person.”
It’s almost ironic that, in 2023, Raducanu admitted she sometimes wishes she’d never won the US Open.
Andy Murray could now give his advice to Emma Raducanu as a coach
Whilst Murray was keen to stay out of Raducanu’s business back in 2021, perhaps now might be the perfect time for him to bestow his wisdom upon his compatriot as a coach.
After all, whilst he has admitted that he’s not desperate to get back into it after his split from Djokovic earlier this year, he has hinted at an openness to taking on a consultancy role to a younger, more malleable player.
Is Emma Raducanu’s 2021 US Open title the most shocking Grand Slam run ever?
Raducanu could perhaps be the perfect individual.
She is talented and full of potential, and has the weight of the world on her shoulders. However, injury struggles and a lack of consistency have plagued her early career.
There are many similarities between her and Murray’s first few years on tour.
Perhaps he might be the man, alongside Francisco Roig, to help turn Raducanu into a genuine regular threat for Grand Slam titles.
