Andy Roddick says he expected Emma Raducanu to lose and tells her what she needs to do now

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Emma Raducanu failed to impress at the Australian Open.

Reaching the second round with a win over the world number 197, Mananchaya Sawangkaew, Raducanu met Anastasia Potapova.

Raducanu was no match for Potapova and lost in straight sets, 6-7, 2-6.

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The 2021 US Open champion didn’t look anywhere near her best down under, leaving many wondering if her promising 2025 campaign was just a flash in the pan.

During the latest episode of ‘Quick Served‘, the former world number one shared his thoughts on Raducanu, advising her on what she needs to do next.

Andy Roddick says Emma Raducanu needs to play more

“Upset on paper, but I had [Emma] Raducanu losing in the second round, [Anastasia] Potapova can play,” said Roddick.

“I love Raducanu, I think she’s wildly intelligent, her game is obviously fantastic.

“[But] I read some stuff sometimes, where it’s like, ‘I played great in the second round, I’m like, man, I don’t want you to be ok with it.

“I read something this off-season where she was saying she wants to play less this year.

“Play less? You’re a Grand Slam champion who is 30 in the world; you have got to play more!

“I want her to want to play more.

Roddick also shared his concerns about Raducanu’s fitness levels.

“You don’t know all of it, but when you have an off-season to train, and you’ve taken that off-season, you should be coming in pretty healthy,” he said.

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“Obviously, we can’t control all of the factors involved, so I don’t know what I don’t know.

“But I saw that from Emma, I was like, Earth wants you to play more.

“I don’t know, you haven’t played a full season, it’s been five years since the Open win, at some point we’re going to have to get to it being a job.”

The American doesn’t believe Raducanu will ever become a top 10 player if she doesn’t make the necessary changes.

“Maybe it’s at the point where it’s like, how about we don’t play until we’re fully ready and then we play a lot,” said Roddick.

“This dipping the toes in here, I’m hurt here… Let’s either fully pull back and fully commit and become a physical machine, with training and time and intent, but half in, half out, I don’t know, at some point, we’re going to have to come up with a strategy.

“I don’t think the way that it is being managed now is going to manifest in a top five or a top 10 ranking.

“It’s just not.

“I would love to be wrong about this because I think she’s great for the game.”

Raducanu was once a top 10 player, but now sits 29th in the world rankings.

Official WTA Rankings

Almost 2,000 points separate her from the world number 10, Belinda Bencic.

If she wants to close that gap, as Roddick rightly said, Raducanu will need a full and successful WTA campaign…

What’s next for Emma Raducanu?

Looking to bounce back from her second-round defeat in Melbourne, Raducanu will head over to Romania for the 2026 Transylvania Open.

She last appeared at the event five years ago, in what was her second tournament after winning the US Open.

Emma Raducanu at the 2021 Transylvania Open

• 2021 Transylvania Open 1R [WIN] vs Polona Hercog, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1
• 2021 Transylvania Open 2R [WIN] vs Ana Bogdan, 6-3, 6-4
• 2021 Transylvania Open QF [LOSS] vs Marta Kostyuk, 2-6, 1-6

This time, Raducanu will compete as the number-one seed and should be in with a good chance of winning her second career WTA title.

Several dangerous players are lurking in the draw, though, including the player who knocked her out of the Australian Open, Potapova.

Only time will tell if Raducanu can emerge victorious in Romania, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.

The 2026 Transylvania Open will begin on Monday, February 2.