Emma Raducanu set for ‘big year’ in 2025, but one ‘big question’ remains
Shahida Jacobs
07 Jan 2025 6:55 AM
Pictured: Emma Raducanu and Yutaka Nakamura
Emma Raducanu and Yutaka Nakamura
A respected voice in the tennis world believes “it is only a matter of time” before Emma Raducanu climbs up the rankings, but he acknowledges there is one “big question” mark if she is to enjoy a “big year”.
Sky Sports Tennis commentator Jonathan Overend feels Raducanu “made huge strides last year” and she will reap the rewards in 2025.
Following an injury-disrupted 2023 campaign during which she played only 10 matches after undergoing surgery on both her wrists and one ankle, Raducanu started the 2024 campaign at No 301 in the world.
She made a sluggish start to the season, but found some form during the grass-court swing as she reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and semi-final at Nottingham.
Raducanu returned to the top 100 after Wimbledon and eventually finished the year at No 57, but she has since slipped to No 60 after missing the 2025 season-opening ASB Classic due to injury.
But there have been a lot of promising signs 22-year-old on and off the court over the past 12 months. The 2021 US Open winner hired renowned fitness coach Yutaka Nakamura ahead of 2025 and he joins her coaching team alongside Nick Cavaday, who teamed up with her at the start of the last year.
Overend says Raducanu has the perfect set-up.
“Yutaka Nakamura is a very experienced fitness trainer on the tennis circuit, worked for many years with Maria Sharapova,” he told Sky Sports Tennis.
“I think he is exactly the right sort of person for Raducanu to have at her side alongside her coach Nick Cavaday, who has been doing excellent work with her over the last year or so.”
Emma Raducanu News
Emma Raducanu adds new tournament to her schedule after injury setback
Emma Raducanu’s latest injury setback fuels major fears over what comes next
There is no doubt that Raducanu – who peaked at No 10 after winning the US Open – will surge up the rankings, but Overend admits she will need to stay fit in order to fulfil her potential.
He added: “The thing with Raducanu is she is 60 in the world having made huge strides last year and having played just slightly over 10 tournaments, I think it was 13 events.
“To get to that number playing relatively few tournaments is quite an achievement in itself so I think it is only a matter of time before Raducanu gets back inside the world’s top 50. Then it is about how many of the big tournaments she can pull out big results in because that is really where the big ranking points are available at.
“As we know from her exploits at the US Open in 2021, when she famously won it as a qualifier without dropping a set, she has that ability on her day to beat the very best.
“If she can stay fit, that really is the big question. Now with this established, settled team around her, I think 2025 could be a big year for Emma Raducanu.”
Related Articles
Pictured: Aryna Sabalenka, Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu
Shahida Jacobs
06 Jan 2025
WTA Rankings: Aryna Sabalenka builds healthy lead over Iga Swiatek; Naomi Osaka +7, Emma Raducanu -4
News
Tennis News
Emma Raducanu during a practice session at Wimbledon in 2024
Ewan West
03 Jan 2025
Emma Raducanu adds new tournament to her schedule after injury setback
News
Tennis News
Luke Littler and Emma Raducanu
Kevin Palmer
02 Jan 2025
Luke Littler has claimed a prize Emma Raduanu can only dream about after teenage breakthrough
News
Tennis Features
Emma Raducanu
Kevin Palmer
02 Jan 2025
Emma Raducanu posts encouraging injury update as she lands in Melbourne for Australian Open
News
Tennis News
Features
L-R: Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, and Iga Swiatek.
Will Gauff face Sabalenka or Swiatek? Australian Open women’s singles draw questions
07 Jan 2025
L-R: Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, and Carlos Alcaraz.
Where will Sinner, Alcaraz, & Djokovic land? Australian Open men’s singles draw questions
07 Jan 2025
L-R: Monica Seles, Serena Williams, and Steffi Graf at the Australian Open.
Australian Open: The 9 greatest women’s singles champions – ranked!
06 Jan 2025
Facts & Stats
Pictured: Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Daniil Medvedev
The 10 men with the most Grand Slam final defeats in Open Era: Novak Djokovic at No 1
07 Jan 2025
Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams and Lindsay Davenport with the Australian Open trophy
The 7 women with the most Australian Open match wins: Serena Williams with 92, Maria Sharapova 2nd
06 Jan 2025
Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with the Australian Open trophy
The 7 men with the most Australian Open match wins: Novak Djokovic 2nd, Roger Federer with 102
05 Jan 2025
Video
Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios playing doubles in Brisbane
WATCH: Novak Djokovic & Nick Kyrgios play amazing 31-shot rally before costly error leads to Brisbane doubles loss
01 Jan 2025
Pictured: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Serena Williams
WATCH: Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Serena Williams team up for emotional Rafael Nadal tribute
20 Nov 2024
Rafael Nadal waves to the crowd after he and Carlos Alcaraz lost their doubles match at the 2024 Paris Olympics
WATCH: Rafael Nadal tears up ahead of Davis Cup farewell in Malaga
19 Nov 2024
Planet Sport Network
PlanetSport
Football365
TEAMtalk
PlanetF1
Planet Football
PlanetRugby
LoveRugbyLeague
Tennis365
Golf365
Cricket365
Tipstrr
Planet Sport Group
Planet Sport Partners
Tennis365 Info
Social
© Planet Sport Limited 2025 • All Rights Reserved
