John McEnroe has backed Emma Raducanu after questioning whether the Brit could handle the pressure following her breakout at Wimbledon in 2021. The American has often been a staunch critic of the British No 1 but has appeared to make a U-turn as he backed her for more success in the future.
McEnroe has previously come under fire for his criticism of Raducanu, as he was one of the first to question whether she could “handle it” during her breakout Wimbledon run, which saw a then-world No 338 Raducanu receive a wild card to make her Grand Slam debut, storming to the fourth round before retiring with breathing difficulties.
The American has since defended his comments, later claiming he “wouldn’t say anything different” months later. But he appears to have changed his mind and is now backing the 20-year-old to get back to the top of tennis following her 2021 US Open victory as a qualifier, claiming she is too talented not to win more.
I think the last year has been overwhelming, obviously,” McEnroe told Tennis365, reflecting on her first full season on the tour. “She has gone through a lot of changes in her life and now she has had issues with injuries.
