Rick Macci, the celebrated American coach who has developed five world No. 1 players including Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Jennifer Capriati, and Andy Roddick, has given Emma Raducanu a ringing endorsement in an exclusive interview with Tennis365. Macci stated he has absolutely no doubt that Raducanu possesses the game to contend for further Grand Slam titles.
Raducanu famously stormed to the 2021 US Open title at just 18 years old, entering the tournament ranked 150th in the world as a qualifier. She went through all ten matches across qualifying and the main draw without dropping a single set, a feat that remains utterly unmatched in tennis history. No other player has ever won a major as a qualifier.
Since that extraordinary triumph at Flushing Meadows, injuries have repeatedly derailed her progress. Most recently, a stress fracture in her right leg has kept her off the court following a runner-up finish at the Queen's Club Championships in June 2026, where she fell to Donna Vekic. That final appearance, combined with a loss to Sorana Cirstea at the Transylvania Open earlier in 2026, shows Raducanu is knocking on the door of titles once again.
Macci believes confidence and physical conditioning are the missing ingredients, not raw talent. He noted that Raducanu appears particularly authoritative on grass surfaces, and he called her a definitive top-10-caliber player based on pure ability. His caveat, however, is pointed: talent alone does not earn rankings points. Consistent, high-level competing every single match is what separates contenders from champions.
With her name already on the US Open entry list, TennisDraw users will be watching closely to see how Raducanu factors into bracket predictions once she returns from injury.
