Emma Raducanu may have gone another year without a title, but 2025 was undoubtedly one of great progression for the British number one.
After all, she started the season unfit and unfavoured before a fine run of form fired her back into contention.
Enjoying landmark wins over players like Amanda Anisimova and Emma Navarro, the 22-year-old began a landmark run of form, avoiding defeat in the first round of a tournament from March to September.
It was not a Grand Slam-winning level, but it remains a step in the right direction.
Whilst Emma Raducanu will have aspirations of one day challenging for majors once again, for now, this is progress.
It therefore might surprise many to recall how she reacted when hearing of Ash Barty’s retirement back in 2022, hoping to enjoy a key distinction from the three-time Grand Slam champion.
How Emma Raducanu reacted to Ash Barty’s shock retirement
Speaking ahead of her debut at the Miami Open to the press, Raducanu was asked her thoughts on Barty’s shock decision to call time on her career.
Aged just 25, the Australian was the reigning Wimbledon and Australian Open champion, yet cited being “physically spent” as her key motivation for retirement.
Raducanu responded to such groundbreaking news by noting: “I just want to wish Ash all the best because she had a great career.
“I think she achieved everything that she wanted to when she started playing the sport.
“I think she was a great player, and she brought a lot of variety to the game. I really respected that. I took a lot of inspiration from her, just how she’s able to mix things up.
Avoid saying the same tennis player as me quiz
“I think that Ash’s retirement just shows how personal everyone’s objectives and goals are. I feel like if I set out with a goal when I’m starting to play tennis, I achieve that, once I’m happy it kind of makes sense to finish on a high, if you know what I mean. I feel like it is personal.
However, she then outlined how she wanted to be different from Barty, despite her success at such a young age: “For me, I want to be in the game as long as possible. I’m only 19. I’ve just come on tour, which is pretty young. Now I think the tour is getting younger. There are a lot of great players who are also young.
“I want to be in the game until I’m in my 30s. We’ll see what happens and how long I can last, to be honest.”
How good was Ash Barty?
Although her professional career spanned just 12 years, Barty crammed a lot into that period.
Three Grand Slams just scratch the surface of her talent; she was a remarkable all-court threat with a phenomenal serve for someone just 5 foot 7.
2017 marked her breakthrough year onto the WTA Tour, and just two years later, she was a major champion, beating Marketa Vondrousova in the Roland Garros final.
In 2021, Barty added five more titles to her sprawling cabinet, including a first Wimbledon title and two Masters 1000 titles.
And then in 2022, just two months after her Australian Open triumph, she announced her retirement.
Her 114 consecutive weeks at the world number one spot is the fourth-longest streak in WTA history.
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