Tim Henman calls for patience as Emma Raducanu prepares to step back into 'intense' spotlight after two months of illness and injury
By Lewis Mason
Published 18/05/2026 at 20:08 GMT+1
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Tim Henman says British No. 1 Emma Raducanu needs to be ready for ”intense” attention when she makes her return to court following injury and illness.
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Raducanu has been sidelined for the past two months, with her most recent appearance coming at Indian Wells in March.
She is now ready to compete again and will prepare for the French Open - live on TNT Sports and HBO Max - by playing at the Internationaux de Strasbourg.
Although there is excitement to see Raducanu playing again, Henman has told TNT Sports that she needs to take a cautious approach.
”I think Emma, and we to a certain extent, need to be patient. She hasn't played for quite some time, coming back from illness and injury is not easy," he said.
”She's on her least favourite surface [clay], so my expectations are pretty low for Strasbourg and Roland-Garros. Coming back onto the grass, that's a much more comfortable surface, but we appreciate the spotlight's going to be pretty intense,” he said.
Former British No.1 Laura Robson agrees with Henman but hopes fans give her time to settle back into the game.
”I feel like she's going to have no expectations and I don't feel like anyone supporting her or watching her should have any expectations as well.
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”We know how good she can play, but it's going to be tough to do that in the first couple of matches back when you've been on and off, on and off, and, you know, struggling physically.
”She's not been able to put the amount of work in the gym or on the practice court in the last few months as she would have liked, so it's just about building that base again,” Robson told TNT Sports.
Since winning the 2021 US Open, Raducanu has been unable to propel herself to further success, and Henman believes staying fit and healthy will be key to building momentum
”If I could choose one thing for Emma, it would be that she's fit and healthy without any injury setbacks because that's what she needs. She needs to build momentum on the match court and you can't do that if you're injured or ill," he said.
After her Australian Open exit in January - which led to her parting ways with coach Francisco Roig - Raducanu stated that she wanted to take her game in a different direction.
”For me, it's not about her tennis. Her tennis has always been very, very good. She’s highly talented," Henman said.
"For me, it's a physical issue. She's got to have greater physical resilience. Get stronger, to hit the ball harder and do it more often.
”She's sort of been around 25 in the world, hasn't she? And it feels like she's scratching the surface.
"In my mind, it's not about her making technical changes or trying to adjust her game, it's about having that resilience to practice longer and hit the ball harder and play more matches and build the resilience."
Raducanu arrives in Strasbourg with a new coach, although he is a familiar face.
Andrew Richardson helped Raducanu achieve that sensational Flushing Meadows victory in 2021 but the pair parted ways after the tournament.
They are now back together and Henman hopes their relationship is longer-lasting this time around.
”Andrew has known Emma for a long, long time since she was a junior and he's a good player himself," Henman added.
”I think he's very understated, he's a calming influence, understands the game well, and what they achieved in New York was unprecedented.
”There's been a lot of chopping and changing since then so I really hope, for both their sakes, that this is something that is a lot more permanent,” he said.
Raducanu has had a merry-go-round of coaches in recent years with Nick Cavaday and Mark Petchey among those to have been part of her team.
Robson is excited to see Richardson back by Raducanu’s side.
”She's got that relationship with her former, now current, coach, where they've got the same sort of goals for her game of what they want to be working on, which I think will be really helpful. It will be super clear every time she goes out on court.
”It could be a great move. You don't know until you try it. I think it's more that they have that confidence in each other, they have that prior relationship, and they have a lot of trust in each other as well, which at this stage is probably what she's looking for.
”He has the same opinions of how he thinks she should play, as she does of herself, and that's half the battle sometimes. I don't think there's any negatives to it at all. I just hope that it lasts a little bit longer than the first time around,” she said.
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