Former British tennis player Andrew Castle suggests the key to Emma Raducanu returning to her 2021 US Open level is very simple and that is stopping to analyze and overthink everything.
A lot has been said about the 22-year-old not winning any titles since her 2021 US Open campaign and what has gone wrong since then. If you remember well, the Briton didn’t only win seven main-draw matches during that run – but also three qualifying matches – which made her the first-ever qualifier to win a Grand Slam. Also, each of those 10 wins at Flushing Meadows was registered in straight sets.
But instead of being a multiple Slam winner by now or having been ranked at the world No. 1 spot, Raducanu has made only two WTA semifinals since then – 2022 Seoul and 2024 Nottingham. Many have argued over the years that the 22-year-old could not have forgotten to play tennis. And Castle agrees with that.
Castle: Raducanu didn’t overanalyze or overthink during her 2021 US Open run
“Not if the brain is overanalyzing everything. The one thing she did not do during her US Open run was [overthink], when I watched her from match two, I thought this girl is just automatic with 10 matches and no sets lost,” the British tennis analyst told Globusbet.
“Now that doesn’t happen if you’re overthinking about how high you want to hit it over the net, whether it comes to your backhand and you are thinking of doing this or that, your serve should be a ball toss to the left. Just play to win, play hard and play with whatever you want. Ultimately, I hope she can get back to that and be more carefree.”
Castle also added that there is “a difference” in the way Raducanu played back then compared to how she plays now.
Last summer, the 60th-ranked Briton admitted winning Wimbledon was one of her biggest goals and confidently stated that she would do it one day.
Tennis World USA