Emma Raducanu is enjoying one of her most consistent and impressive years on tour, and is poised to do great things at Wimbledon.
Having reached the fourth round last year, there’s quiet confidence that she might surpass that stage alongside Jack Draper, who is poised to make a genuine run for the title on the men’s side.
After fears of how British tennis might look after Andy Murray’s retirement, the strength in depth has arguably never been better.
However, it’s worth remembering where these current stars have come from, and the battles they continue to overcome just to remain at the top.
Emma Raducanu in particular has dealt with more than most, with Naomi Broady now emerging to defend and uplift the young star.
How is Emma Raducanu’s camp at the moment?
Speaking to Tennis Channel, she began by highlighting how well Raducanu has done in the face of such critical press.
Broady claimed: ‘Yeah, it’s pretty crazy over here. We have quite a negative press, I think is fair to say. I hope they’re not gonna attack me now. It’s kind of the glass is always half empty over here.
‘So I think a lot of the British public who maybe don’t follow tennis too much throughout the year kind of expected her to just continue to win Grand Slams. They definitely didn’t understand the enormity of being the first player ever to win the US Open from the qualifying without dropping a set, and now kind of changed after she didn’t continue to just rack up the Grand Slam.
‘They’ll say “Well, that was a fluke, and that was so lucky that she was able to do that.” How can you say that after, you know, three weeks of match wins?
‘But she’s playing great, and I think she’s really conscious to keep her team small, and she’s very conscious to keep it only with people that she trusts. She has Nick Cavaday back on board. Mark Petchey I know works with you guys out in the States on Tennis Channel too, and he’s doing a great job with Emma, around his commentary and work commitments.
‘So I think she’s really happy at the moment with the team that she’s starting to assemble, but she’s playing fantastic tennis. She’s always been an incredible talent.’
There have been plenty of vocal critics regarding Raducanu’s regular changes in the staff department, but at last, it seems she has settled on a solid foundation that can help her push forward in her career at last.
The results in 2025 speak for themselves, as do the regularity with which she is now playing tennis.
Naomi Broady reveals the rejection she and Emma Raducanu suffered
Broady then continued by telling a story about how the two were due to play together, but saw their plan rejected: She and I actually requested a wild card the year that she had her mini breakthrough at Wimbledon the same year that she went on to win that US Open.
‘And we actually got told we weren’t allowed to have one because she hadn’t planned any doubles before. This is how new on the tour that she was, so I had to play with somebody else. But I wrote a letter when I requested the wild card and kind of said, “Look, I think this is going to be great for her future for this experience, because she’s gonna be one of the best players. She already is one of the best players in the country and I’ve always felt very smug since that moment.”
‘But I had that foresight. But she’s just so talented and I think she’s the real deal. I think when she can find, you know, a good place with her mentality she will be learn to deal with the pressure.’
This comes after Raducanu will partner Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open’s mixed doubles.
Given Raducanu is now the British number one, having overtaken Katie Boulter just last week, Broady’s prediction has already come true.
The hope is that the 22-year-old superstar can now build on this and continue progressing up the rankings into seeded spots at Grand Slams and beyond.
