"Emma Raducanu's got the next 10 years in front of her, just needs to build that foundation" - Tim Henman 

Emma Raducanu is set to make her return to competitive tennis next month. The Brit, who was sidelined due to injuries for the major part of 2023, will fly down to Australia for the ASB Classic and Brisbane in January.

Fans and tennis observers are excited to watch the 2021 US Open champion’s comeback. Also hopeful of a strong return for Raducanu is former British No. 1 Tim Henman, who spoke positively about the youngster.

Speaking to Eurosport in a recent interview, Henman said he was not worried about Raducanu. He said patience was key for the youngster, who in his eyes, was not going anywhere for the next 10 years or so.

“I think patience is a really important word for Emma Raducanu herself, but also all the people that are excited to see her come back. She's 21 years of age," Tim Henman said. "She's got the next 10 years in front of her. She just needs to build that foundation so that she can get out on tour and compete and show the undeniable talents that she has.”

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"Massively exciting" - Tim Henman on Emma Raducanu's return

Emma Raducanu during a practice session at the BNP Paribas Open.

Tim Henman said he was "massively" excited for Emma Raducanu's return, but cautioned fans to manage their expectations.

“Yeah, it's massively exciting to have Raducanu coming back. I think it's important that everybody around tennis who's a fan, who's excited to see Raducanu back on the court, manages their expectations," he said during the same interview.

The former British No. 1 noted that Raducanu was still inexperienced and would take at least three or four months to get used to the competition.

Henman said there was no denying the 21-year-old's talent, adding that she could go a long way provided she remains healthy and injury-free.

“Raducanu's been out for a long, long time and she's still massively inexperienced," he said. "She's played so few tour level events, she's played so few matches in her whole professional career. I think if she could stay injury free and play a whole series of tournaments without any setbacks, I think that would be fantastic because there is no doubt about her ability."