Judy Murray has offered words of encouragement to Emma Raducanu as the teenager prepares to dive into the bubbling cauldron of Wimbledon expectations.
Former Fed Cup captain Judy advised the oft-injured London teenager to take her time to develop solid training and fitness habits.
She pointed to similar growing pains for three-time Grand Slam champion son Andy back in the day.
“I remember when Andy was making the step up from the juniors to the ATP Tour,”: Murray told London’s Telegraph..
“He had a number of recurring physical problems. In particular, he suffered from a lot of cramping.
“His body was perfectly ready for the demands of the lower rungs of the circuit but not necessarily for the heavier hitting, the longer, more rigorous rallies and stronger opponents he came up against on the Tour.”
She added: “What’s becoming increasingly clear is that Raducanu’s body needs time to mature.
“If you strip away the fact she was catapulted into this amazing success following her US Open triumph last September, she is no different to any other young player in the sense that her body needs time to fill out, become more robust and resilient.
Murray also warned: “It’s a process that simply doesn’t happen overnight, especially when the physical demands on her body are at an all-time high.”
No. 11 US Open champion Raducanu quit with what turned out to be a minor fitness issue after seven games in a WTA match this week in Nottingham.
While she is out of Birmingham next week she is expected to make a much-hyped appearance at Wimbledon.
