Emma Raducanu has exited the French Open after her second round loss to defending champion Iga Swiatek.
Raducanu made changes to her clay court schedule this year, before she made her first appearance at the French Open in three years.
This clay court season produced some impressive results for Raducanu, highlighted by her run to the last-16 at the Italian Open.
The Brit rose to stardom in 2021, when Raducanu won the US Open as a qualifier, and her coach Mark Petchey has now spoken about what has changed in the sport since then.
Mark Petchey says that he wants Emma Raducanu to follow Tommy Paul’s career path
Following his player’s heavy defeat to Swiatek at the French Open, Petchey spoke about Raducanu and what has changed since her maiden Grand Slam triumph over three years ago.
Petchey went on to highlight Tommy Paul as a player whose career he would like Raducanu to follow.
“She’s living her career in reverse and you know obviously what happened in 2021,” Petchey told TNT Sports. “We are not living in the same era as 2021, the balls are about four times heavier!
“Emma is a medium hitter in lots of ways, and you’ve got to kind of find a way to obviously stay with the big guns, which is obviously where she wants to be.
“So, everything has changed since 2021 in terms of the game and I think from my perspective as Mats [Wilander] is saying, I’ve tried to say that to her is I would like to judge you in two years.
“I’d like to be on the Tommy Paul and Brad Stine sort of schedule, start in 2019, judge me in 2023. Rather than obviously with Emma, the judgement obviously is instant, it’s weekly, it’s daily, it doesn’t have that timeframe that you should have at this stage in her career.”
Brad Stine has coached Paul since 2020, helping the American to reach a Grand Slam semi-final and reach a career-high ranking of world number nine earlier this year.
Mats Wilander explains what he thinks Emma Raducanu needs to do after her French Open exit
Despite Raducanu winning only three games in her match against Swiatek, former world number one Mats Wilander has big hopes for the 22-year-old.
Wilander believes that Raducanu has what it takes to reach the top of the WTA Tour, suggesting that she just needs to continue playing tournaments.
“My opinion of Emma is always positive, from the first time I saw her I can’t believe how complete she is as a player,” said Wilander.
“Moving forward I think all she needs is tournaments, she needs to get out there and she needs to give herself a couple of years of health and I think that she is getting to the top of the game, I really do.
“Because… her repertoire is too big and she is focused enough, she moves well enough, she doesn’t really have a weakness in the forehand or the backhand. Her serve has improved I think.”
Wilander will likely be pleased when he sees Raducanu’s upcoming schedule, as she has a busy grass court season.
Raducanu is scheduled to play her first grass court tournament at Queen’s Club, which will begin on June 9.
