John McEnroe admits he’s stunned by the changing stream of coaches who have been trying their luck with Britain’s teenaged US Open winner Emma Raducanu.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion who is never short of an opinion told Eurosport of his concerns for the 19-year-old who won the major last September from a qualifying start – an unprecedented achievement.
The TV commentator said he feels the 12th-ranked ingenue is “overwhelmed” by the entire situation which has left her struggling for consistent form.
“Honestly, if I won the US Open having gone through qualifying, I wouldn’t change my coach at least for the next year, so I don’t understand that move,” the 63-year-old said.
“Obviously her parents are involved and they know more than I know.
“But this idea of a revolving door of coaches I just don’t think that’s good for any player, much less so for a player at this stage of her career.”
He added: ‘We have to wait and see and hopefully she finds someone she can stick with for a while.
“She has changed coaches, three, four or five times which is unbelievable for someone who has just come off winning a major.
‘We have got to keep a little perspective here. At Wimbledon last year she was unable to finish a match because of stress and it got to be too much for her.
“Then she came out and did something that no one has ever done – man or woman – in 150 years of tennis, coming from the qualifying and winning.”
In the two Grand Slams she has played since her achievement, Raducanu has yet to reach the third round, going 1-1 this week in Paris.
