Tim Henman delivers his honest opinion on Emma Raducanu withdrawing from French Open qualification

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Tim Henman outlines why Emma Raducanu’s decision to not play the Roland Garros qualifiers was the right one.

The former British Number One returned to action in January following wrist and ankle surgeries and it has not been easy.

Following a first round exit in Madrid, Raducanu brought a premature end to her clay court season by sitting out the Italian Open and withdrawing from the French Open qualifiers.

Raducanu, who has yet to master the clay, has opted to shift her attention towards preparing for the grass-court season this summer.

Tim Henman agrees with Emma Raducanu’s French Open qualifiers withdrawal

Henman, also a former British Number One, has closely followed Raducanu’s career and the challenges she has been faced with since her extraordinary US Open win in 2021.

She is still adjusting to the brutal schedule of the WTA Tour and following her operations last year and many are now hoping the 21-year-old’s injury woes are now behind her.

Ahead of the grass court season and Wimbledon in particular, Henman thinks the Bromley local is more suited to grass than clay and spending more time training on the turf could be key.

“If she wants to move her focus to the grass already and continue to work on her fitness that’s her prerogative,” he told Mail Online.

“Sometimes we can read a bit too much into these things. She played some great clay court tennis at the Billie Jean King Cup and in Stuttgart but having said that I think grass will suit her game even more.”

Emma Raducanu’s season so far

Raducanu began her 2024 campaign with one match win January’s ASB Classic, which was followed by another victory at the Australian Open.

Raducanu once again claimed just one win in Abu Dhabi before losing her opening match in Qatar to Anhelina Kalinina.

Aryna Sabalenka beat Raducanu in the third round of Indian Wells before reaching the Stuttgart Open quarter-finals, her best result of the season so far. She also won both of her rubbers in the Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers in April.

Raducanu has played just one match since Stuttgart, which she lost to María Lourdes Carlé. She will bid to train well and have a strong grass court campaign.