Emma Raducanu has come under fire for her lack of time on court ahead of the US Open, but former British No 1 Tim Henman has offered up a firm rebuttal to her vocal critics in an exclusive interview with Tennis365.

Raducanu is heading back to the scene of her famous 2021 US Open win after playing in just one warm-up tournament, with her run to the Citi Open quarter-finals in Washington at the beginning of August the only matches she has played since Wimbledon.

She was listed to play in qualifying for the WTA 1000 event in Toronto but opted against competing for a place in the main draw in favour of a return to England to train at the LTA’s National Tennis Centre.

Raducanu will now fly back to America to play in the US Open seemingly under-prepared for the final major of the year, but she has found a vocal supporter for her approach in Henman.

The Brit, who reached the semi-finals at the US Open in 2004, has been a big backer of Raducanu throughout her young career and he has jumped to her defence after criticism of her decision not to play in qualifying competitions for big tournaments.

“There is almost a borderline obsession about different elements of her game and where she is going wrong,” Sky Sports Tennis analyst Henman told Tennis365 in an exclusive interview.

“She hasn’t played in Canada and Cincinnati over the last few weeks… big deal! It’s two tournaments out of 52 weeks, she has played plenty of tournaments this year and she is top 50 in the WTA Race for this year.

“She is continuing to build and get fitter, stronger and faster. Her game is fantastic. She will be top 20 or top 30 before long, so we need to stop this level of scrutiny.”

The hype around Raducanu is inevitable given the interest in her every move, with website hits confirming she remains one of the most talked about players in tennis despite her lack of success on the court since that US Open win three years ago.

Henman was courtside cheering on Raducanu for that New York miracle in 2021 and she remains a vocal supporter of her talents as she battles back from three surgeries last year.

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Tim Henman hits out at ‘borderline obsession’ around Emma Raducanu ahead of US Open

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“We need to be patient, keep supporting her and good things will happen,” he stated.

“She is a great player. She is going to be one of the leaders of British sport for years to come and not just British tennis.

“The challenges she has faced since the US Open win have been well-documented, but they are also expected for someone who is still so young and still finding their feet on the biggest stage.”

Raducanu will fly to New York this week to step up her preparations for the US Open, with her decision not to play in Toronto seemingly down to some physical issues that have been troubling her.

Naomi Cavaday – sister of Nick Cavaday, who has coached Raducanu since the start of this year – was on Sky Sports Tennis co-commentating duties with Laura Robson for the Cincinnati Open when the latter said: “I was going to ask you actually, with your brother being her coach, why the decision to not play qualifying?”

Naomi replied: “I think viewing it as extra matches, she got some wins in Washington, pretty happy with the level. Body feeling it a touch, trying to keep that managed.”

Playing such a light schedule might not be a conventional approach to Grand Slam preparations, but Raducanu will get the chance to confirm it has been the right approach for her when she gets to the US Open.

Having played so few matches since Wimbledon, Raducanu should be fresh and ready to fire when she lands at the venue that witnessed her greatest moment once again and Henman expects big things from the world No 71.

“We have a player here who has shown what she can do and we need to give her time to do it her way as it has proved to be successful in the past,” added Henman. “I understand there is a lot of interest around Emma, but just calm down, give her time and good things will happen.”

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