Emma Raducanu, the British tennis star who dazzled the world with her 2021 US Open victory as a qualifier, stands at a pivotal moment in her career. Once celebrated as the first qualifier to claim a Grand Slam, the 22-year-old has faced a tough road, marked by early tournament exits and lingering injuries. Her latest stumble came at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, where she fell 6-3, 6-2 in the first round to Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima, leaving her with a 3-6 record this season. With four first-round losses in 2025, Raducanu’s early momentum has faded, leading experts to urge her to embrace lower-tier tournaments to rebuild her confidence and sharpen her game.
Raducanu’s 2021 US Open triumph, where she won the title as an 18-year-old without dropping a set, remains a historic milestone. Ranked outside the top 300 earlier that year, she also reached Wimbledon’s fourth round, then stunned the tennis world by defeating Leylah Fernandez in the US Open final. Yet, consistency has been elusive since. Injuries, including surgeries on both wrists and an ankle, have limited her to just five major match wins since 2022. Her 2025 season has been particularly challenging, with early exits at the Australian Open, Qatar Ladies Open, and Indian Wells. “Even when healthy, Raducanu hasn’t made a significant impact since her 2021 US Open run,” analysts note, highlighting her struggle to reach a WTA semifinal since her Grand Slam success.
Experts suggest Raducanu could benefit from competing in lower-tier ITF events or qualifiers to regain her edge. While her popularity has earned her wildcards into major tournaments, this may be stunting her growth. “Dropping to ITF events could give Raducanu valuable match experience,” analysts say, pointing to Elina Svitolina and Belinda Bencic, who revitalized their careers through smaller tournaments. Svitolina, post-maternity leave in 2023, reached a WTA 125 final before winning Strasbourg and making deep runs at the French Open and Wimbledon. Bencic similarly honed her game in ITF events after pregnancy, eventually reaching a final. “Winning builds confidence, and one strong run can remind a player of their potential,” experts emphasize, noting the value of consistent victories, even against lesser-ranked opponents.
Playing ITF events or qualifiers could help Raducanu restore her match fitness and competitive fire, which have dimmed since her US Open glory. “She should focus on lower-tier events to build momentum,” analysts advise, as she hasn’t reached a final since 2021. Raducanu showed openness to qualifiers in Abu Dhabi this year, but received a main-draw wildcard instead. “Extra matches could boost her confidence significantly,” commentators argue, stressing the importance of match practice.
Raducanu’s selective approach to tournaments—“I’ll never play 30 events a year,” she recently said—has left her underprepared, as evidenced by her 2024 US Open first-round loss to Sofia Kenin, where she admitted feeling “off.” With her career-high No. 10 ranking now far behind, Raducanu faces the challenge of rebuilding with humility and grit. As she looks to the 2025 season, including a potential US Open return, the tennis world awaits to see if she can harness her talent for a comeback as remarkable as her 2021 breakthrough.
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