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Greg Rusedski has called for Emma Raducanu to be given "nine to 18 months" to adapt after her stunning 2021 US Open triumph. The former World No. 4 compared the situation of Raducanu's surprise victory in New York to when Pete Sampras won his first Major at the 1990 US Open.
Ranked 150, Raducanu stunned the tennis world at the US Open in September when she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title. The then 18-year-old was the youngest Major champion since Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon in 2004. The Brit had not won a match at a WTA tour event before the tournament at Flushing Meadows.
Sampras was also, to a lesser extent, an unexpected champion when he triumphed at the 1990 US Open as the No. 12 seed. The American had to wait almost three years to win his second Major at Wimbledon in 1993, but went on to become an all-time great - winning 14 Slams in total.
In an interview with Express Sport, Rusedski drew parallels between the maiden Grand Slam victories of Raducanu and Sampras and highlighted the time it took the latter to acclimatize.
“As I said when she won the US Open, give her nine months to 18 months to adjust," Rusedski said. “I remember a young player by the name of Pete Sampras at 19 who won the US Open out of nowhere and nobody really knew who this kid was.
"It took him a good nine months to adjust to being in that situation. And I think with Emma, let’s not forget she hadn’t even won a match on the WTA tour until a few weeks after the US Open, her second event, so everything’s new.”
Rusedski, a finalist at the 1997 US Open, also praised Raducanu's appointment of coach Torben Beltz and the way she is dealing with being a Major champion. Angelique Kerber won two of her three Majors and reached World No. 1 while working with Beltz.
“The positive news for her though, she’s hired a coach who’s worked with Kerber, who’s a multiple Grand Slam champion and world No 1," Rusedski continued.
“So I think adjusting to all the demands, all the hype, all that stuff, and making sure she has her team solid. It seems like that’s in place now, so this off-season is going to be important, and I think she’ll adjust. Well, let’s not forget, I mean she’s just turned 19 years of age. What are most 19-year-olds doing around the world?”
Emma Raducanu will have fantastic success if she's well-managed: Greg Rusedski
Greg Rusedski also spoke of the challenges Emma Raducanu is facing by seeing her popularity and profile change dramatically with her US Open victory. The former World No. 4 is confident, though, that his fellow Brit will have a great career as long as she has an effective and stable team in place.
“You’ve got to look at it, she’s put all this spotlight on herself because of her brilliance as a tennis player, but she’s got to mature into the person she wants to become," Rusedski said. “And on top of that she’s got to be comfortable because it’s a whirlwind [going from] almost being unknown to probably being a global superstar.”
“It’s a big transition but I think something she’s smart enough to handle,” Rusedski added. “And if she’s well-managed and she puts a team around her that’s consistent for a long period of time, there’s no question she’s going to have fantastic success.”
