This September, it will be five years since Emma Raducanu made history as she hoisted the US Open trophy into the air. Aged 18, Raducanu was playing just her fourth professional tournament.
She had only completed her A levels a few weeks prior. Ranked 150th in the world, she came through qualifying and ultimately won 10 matches in a row – without dropping a set – to be crowned champion, the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title. Since then, she has not won another Major.
She hasn’t won another title at any level, although she came very close in Cluj earlier this month, finishing runner-up at the Transylvania Open.
That’s just one reason why Raducanu has received more doubt and hate than most players on tour since her 2021 triumph. And for now, it seems Raducanu will never lift another Major trophy. But that doesn’t mean her critics are right.
For years now, the British number one’s doubters have suggested that she is a failure because she hasn’t backed up her US Open win and become a two-time Grand Slam champion. As if being a one-time champion is a failure.
Lightning can strike twice, and you cannot 100% rule out another Slam. But Raducanu has many obstacles to overcome before she can realistically contend for one again.
The 23-year-old has struggled with injuries and has had surgeries on both wrists and one ankle. She’s had some health and fitness problems at tournaments, retiring from 10 matches since playing her first tour-level event in 2021. She’s yet to even get to a second week of a Major since that fateful run in New York.