Leading tennis voice Jonathan Overend has identified the ways in which Emma Raducanu needs to improve the most if she is to continue her progress in 2026.
Having ended the 2024 campaign ranked 58th, Raducanu has halved her ranking as she is currently the world No 29, which is her highest position since the points from her 2021 US Open title dropped in September 2022.
The 22-year-old ended her 2025 season early last week having struggled physically at her last two events in Ningbo and Wuhan.
The Brit finished the campaign with a healthy 28-22 record having lost six of her first nine matches in a difficult start. She kickstarted her year by reaching her maiden WTA 1000 quarter-final at the Miami Open in March.
Overend, who is the lead tennis commentator for Sky Sports, assessed that the first shot after serving should be a key area of focus for Raducanu.
“She’s done a lot of work on the serve, which is noticeable and does have a bit more pop on it,” Overend told Sky Sports. “It is a bit more consistent with the first delivery, getting those numbers up.
“To me, it’s the response when the return comes back because the best players in the world can do so much damage with that first hit on return.
“It can be back at you before you know it and that was exposed during the [Elena] Rybakina humbling at the US Open, and I think she knows that is an area that needs improvement.
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“It’s that reaction time, it’s that footwork after dropping down from serve. It’s just generally being prepared for something that is coming at you quicker than ever and that is only going to come faster.
“Coach Francisco Roig will have loads of methods to try to work on that. I’m sure it’s high on that agenda.”
Raducanu lost two matches in September after holding three match points for a straight-set win: against Barbora Krejcikova in Seoul and Jessica Pegula in Beijing.
Overend recognised that this is a concern, but went on to highlight the positives from Raducanu’s season.
“Another problem has been how some close matches have disappeared from her very rapidly,” Overend added.
“I think it’s the inevitable let down of missing match points. It’s hard to recover from when you’ve been one point away from winning the match. How do you shut away that disappointment and move on?
“The reality is she’s played 50 matches over the year. It’s been a successful year in that regard. She has had some good wins and been pretty consistent against lower-ranked players.
“She’s challenged high-ranked players and she had a stand-out win against Navarro in Miami. She’s made a semi-final and she continues to make really excellent progress in ranking terms and I think the only way is up.
“I remain confident she can become a top 10 player. It’s going to require a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication, and real commitment to this relationship with Francisco Roig, which looks like it has the potential to be her most successful coaching relationship for a long time.
“2026 could hold something special for Raducanu.”
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