Tim Henman weighs in on Emma Raducanu criticism with direct message for former US Open champion
Emma Raducanu faces a tough first match at the US Open
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Tim Henman has urged Emma Raducanu to ignore the noise surrounding her decision not to play in qualifiers in Toronto or Cincinnati with hope his compatriot will continue her steady rise back up the rankings.
The 2021 US Open champion has been on the comeback trail this year after missing most of 2023 following her operations.
She subsequently dropped outside of the world's top 300 at the end of last year and has been slowly working her way back.
Raducanu has cut a far happier figure this year, particularly in recent months with performances and results beginning to pick up.
Emma Raducanu faces a tough first match at the US Open
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But the British star has played a compact schedule compared to her rivals as she's wary of over doing it on her first year back after a lay-off.
There was some optimism that she would build up momentum heading into the US Open with two Masters 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati.
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However, Raducanu wasn't given a wildcard entry for either event and she opted against entering in the qualifying rounds.
That decision raised some eyebrows with former Olympic champion Monica Puig among those to suggest the 21-year-old had made a mistake.
But Henman has jumped to the defence of his compatriot and feels she will reap the benefits next year.
"Missing out on a wildcard for Cincinnati was not really a blow for her because if you look at the amount of tennis that she's played this year and you look at where she is in the race - she's top 50," Henman said on Sky Sports.
"It's just continue to build on the momentum she's got because whenever she's played, she's played some brilliant tennis, so there will be plenty more opportunities.
"I think it's a little more frustrating if you don't get into those tournaments but give her another three to six months she'll be a direct entry into those biggest and best events and her ranking will continue to move in the right direction."
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Tim Henman has shown his support for Emma Raducanu
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Henman continued: "There's no rush [to play tournaments].
"She's still only 21 because she's been around for so long but when she had the surgeries, two on her wrists and one on her foot, that was actually a blessing in disguise as it really gave her a step back and really look at her general fitness and resilience to build the foundation and compete on tour.
"When you look at the events that she's played, she's played some great tennis.
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Emma Raducanu has only played one event on hardcourts prior to the US Open
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"She's played very well on hardcourts, she's played well on clay and grass, so there will be plenty more opportunity ahead."
Raducanu begins her US Open campaign against Sofia Kenin in the first round later this evening.
If the 21-year-old progresses, she will likely face an even tougher test against No 6 seed Jessica Pegula in the second round.