Emma Raducanu was defeated in the third round of Wimbledon by Aryna Sabalenka after a stellar run, and Dan Evans has urged people to let the British No. 3 be ahead of the US Open
Former British No. 1 Dan Evans has urged fans to ‘leave Emma Raducanu alone’ following her encouraging Wimbledon campaign. The shock US Open champion reached the third round at SW19.
Raducanu encountered a stern examination at the All England Club earlier this month when she took on world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. The 22-year-old, who stunned the tennis world by claiming the US Open in 2021 as a qualifier, had already seen off former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova before her third-round clash.
The British star fought courageously, going down in straight sets 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, with Evans now making a plea following this heartening display ahead of the upcoming US Open.
“Emma should definitely take a lot from the Sabalenka match,” Evans told Tennis365, when quizzed about the British No. 3’s Wimbledon journey this year.
“It was great to see her out there fighting the way she did and I thought she was the better player for long periods of that match against Sabalenka, who is the world No.1.
“I’m interested to see what comes next for Emma. She is already back on the court working hard, and I think the summer in America is going to be good for her.
“We always need to manage expectations a little around Emma, but let’s leave her alone, let her enjoy playing tennis and she has a decent chance to do well heading into the US Open.”
The Big Apple was the backdrop for Raducanu’s stunning triumph four years ago, as she powered through top-tier opponents like Belinda Bencic, Maria Sakkari and Leylah Fernandez to clinch the US Open title without dropping a set until the semi-finals.
Since her meteoric rise, Raducanu has seen a revolving door of coaches, parting ways with Andrew Richardson just a fortnight after her US Open victory.
As she gears up for a return to the prestigious tournament in August, she’s yet to progress beyond the opening round since her historic win, reports the Express.
The British tennis star’s coaching situation remains uncertain. She’s been with Mark Petchey sporadically since the Miami Open, and although he steered her to notable performances at Wimbledon, it’s still up in the air if their partnership will persist beyond this competition.
Evans, adding to his perspective on how Raducanu should be treated, hinted at a potential future in coaching once he puts down his racket.
“Coaching is something I would look at,” Evans confessed. “It depends on what opportunity came up and the idea of working with players and see that improvement might be interesting.
“When you are working on the other side of the fence as a coach, you might argue it gives you even more satisfaction to see a player improving.”
