Emma Raducanu has been tipped to have a strong 2025 season as she prepares for the Australian Open.
The 23-year-old is aiming to put her fitness woes behind her this year and rediscover the form that saw her win the 2021 US Open.
The Brit was limited to just 37 matches across the year as she suffered more physical issues throughout the 2024 campaign.
But with fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura now on Raducanu’s team, she is striving towards playing more matches and contouring her climb back up the WTA rankings.
Sky Sports commentator praises Emma Raducanu for 2024 achievement
Emma Raducanu returned to the WTA Tour at the start of 2024 following eight months out due to ankle and double wrist surgery.
She also suffered from other injury issues at various points during the year, which caused Raducanu to miss almost the entire Asian swing post-US Open.
But despite her lack of matchplay, Raducanu rose from 285 to 57 in the WTA rankings over the course of the year.
Therefore, Sky Sports commentator Jonathan Overend thinks if the former World number 10 can stay fit and play more matches a promising season lies ahead.
“The thing with Raducanu is she is 60 in the world having made huge strides last year and having played just slightly over 10 tournaments, I think it was 13 events,” he said during an appearance on Sky Sports News.
“To get to that number playing relatively few tournaments is quite an achievement in itself so I think it is only a matter of time before Raducanu gets back inside the world’s top 50.
“Then it is about how many of the big tournaments she can pull out big results in because that is really where the big ranking points are available at.
“If she can stay fit, that really is the big question. Now with this established, settled team around her, I think 2025 could be a big year for Emma Raducanu.”
Emma Raducanu practicing in Melbourne ahead of Australian Open
Raducanu was due to commence her 2025 season at Auckland’s ASB Classic.
However the former British number one was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to a back injury.
She has since travelled to Melbourne to practice ahead of the Australian Open and on Tuesday she was filmed training with Elena Rybakina.
Raducanu and Rybakina were seen trading forehands and backhands in a low-intensity rally on court in the Australian sunshine.
The World number six arrived at Melbourne Park after guiding Kazakhstan to the semi-finals of the United Cup. She lost just one match throughout the team tournament, which came against Iga Swiatek in the last four.
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