More than four years after her historic US Open triumph as a teenage qualifier, Emma Raducanu’s journey has been anything but linear. From a peak of world No. 10 to three surgeries and an early end to her 2023 season, the British No. 1 has endured setbacks. Now rising from outside the top 300 to No. 29, she is regaining momentum, with Greg Rusedski insisting a top-20 return is possible if she builds the stable, trusted team that underpins Aryna Sabalenka’s success.

In a recent interview with Express Sport, Greg Rusedski spoke about what Emma Raducanu still lacks. The former British player pointed to inconsistency around her team as a major factor limiting her progress on tour.

“Her thing is all based on health, it’s all based on expectation, and it’s about having a solid team of people around her,” Rusedski said. He highlighted recent coaching changes and stressed the importance of stability and momentum.

He referenced Mark Petchey’s work during the summer and Francisco Roig’s arrival. “So it’s about having that consistent person with you, and then staying healthy and keeping the momentum going,” he added.

Rusedski believes Raducanu’s US Open victory changed everything. “So for Emma, the problem was, she won a Slam, one of the hardest things to do in our sport, and then everything changed,” he said.

He pointed to her frequent coaching changes. “I think it was a total of eight coaches [she went through],” Rusedski noted. He stressed that momentum after a Slam is critical and difficult to manage.

Rusedski urged Raducanu to mentally move on. “And she’s got to forget about that US Open, like it doesn’t even exist,” he said. He believes focus and the right people can push her higher.

He acknowledged her progress. “It’s great to see she’s rebuilding herself up there,” he said. He also emphasized the challenge of her climb. “It’s health, consistency, and the right team.” Rusedski, who is launching the Off Court with Greg podcast, returned to the idea of a stable base. “You’ve got to feel like you have the right team of people around them,” he explained.

He pointed to examples across tennis history. “Look at Andy Murray’s career,” he said, noting long-term team stability. He also cited Nadal, Federer, and current world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

Raducanu’s post-US Open period was turbulent. She worked with several coaches in the 18 months following her breakthrough. That phase lacked continuity and long-term structure.

More recently, stability has improved. She worked with childhood coach Nick Cavaday for over a year. He stepped back in January for health reasons, prompting another transition.

She later formed an ad-hoc partnership with Mark Petchey. Petchey balanced coaching with his Tennis Channel role. In contrast, Sabalenka credits her stable team for her success, which includes Fitness Coach Jason Stacy, hitting partner Andrei Vasilevski and data scientist Shane Liyanage, a model Rusedski believes Raducanu can follow.

Raducanu has now partnered with Francisco Roig through 2026. She has added Emma Stewart as physiotherapist and strength coach and works with Jerome Poupel. With preseason training underway in Barcelona, Rusedski believes a massive return in 2026 is also achievable for the Brit.

Rusedski confident Emma Raducanu can return to Top 20

In an exclusive interview, Greg Rusedski shared a strong belief in Emma Raducanu’s upward trajectory. He expects her to return to the top 20 next season. “She has got back to where she is in the rankings and has not played a full schedule,” he said. “So I’d expect her to get back into the top 20 next year and the challenge then is to go beyond that and win titles.”

Rusedski explained what comes next in her development. “Tennis players tend to be on a journey,” he said. He added that players usually win smaller events first, then climb the rankings, before challenging for Grand Slams. “Raducanu now has to win tournaments. She needs to get to finals. She hasn’t done that yet,” he stressed.

Raducanu’s ranking progress supports that optimism. She ended 2024 ranked No. 58. She closed the 2025 season as world No. 29, her best year-end ranking since 2021. That season, she finished world No. 19 after winning the US Open.

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Her current ranking of No. 29 is also her highest since August 2022. That was before the points from her US Open title dropped. She previously reached a career-high ranking of world No. 10 in July 2022.

The 23-year-old posted a 28–22 match record in 2025. She played 22 tournaments and earned 1,563 WTA ranking points. Her season began at the Australian Open after she withdrew from the Auckland WTA 250 due to a back injury.

Looking ahead, Raducanu has a clear opportunity to climb. She is not defending points until the Australian Open, where she must protect just 130 points. 

She will start 2026 at the United Cup, making her debut in the mixed team event. Players can earn up to 500 points there, and Great Britain faces Japan and Greece in Group E. 

Raducanu currently trails Sofia Kenin by 26 points, Dayana Yastremska by 41, Marta Kostyuk by 96, and Paula Badosa by 113. With few points to defend, strong early results could push her quickly up the rankings. 

Do you think she will finally find her rhythm and break back into the top tier this year?