Andy Roddick has urged Emma Raducanu to approach tennis as a profession following her disappointing second-round elimination at the Australian Open.
The British No 1, seeded 28th in Melbourne, fell to Anastasia Potapova in a result that extends her underwhelming Grand Slam record since capturing the US Open title in 2021.
Speaking on his Served podcast, the former American champion expressed frustration with Raducanu’s stated intention to reduce her playing schedule this year.
While acknowledging her talent, Roddick said: “I love Raducanu, I think she’s wildly intelligent, her game is obviously fantastic.”
However, he was clear that admiration alone would not suffice, adding that the defeat was not entirely unexpected given Potapova’s capabilities.
Roddick took particular issue with comments Raducanu made during the off-season about wanting a lighter schedule.
“I read stuff in the off-season, [her] saying, ‘I want to play a little less this year.’ Play less? You’re a Grand Slam champion who’s [ranked] 30 in the world, you’ve got to play more,” he said.
Andy Roddick has urged Emma Raducanu to approach tennis as a profession following her disappointing second-round elimination at the Australian Open
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The American was emphatic that the 2021 US Open champion needed greater court time, stating: “I want her to want to play more.
“You don’t know all of it but when you have an off-season to train, you should be coming in pretty healthy.”
He pointed out that half a decade has elapsed since her Flushing Meadows triumph without Raducanu completing a full campaign.
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“It’s been five years since the [US] Open [win]. At some point we’re going to have to get to it being a job,” Roddick concluded.
Raducanu has defended her approach, citing health and wellbeing as the primary factors behind her scheduling decisions.
In an interview with the BBC last month, she explained: “I would say next year I hope to play less than I did this year.”
The 23-year-old outlined her strategy for maintaining physical condition, emphasising the importance of integrating fitness work into her daily training rather than treating it as separate sessions.
“You just have to try and drip feed as much as you can in for the overall health of your body, little and often, I think is the biggest thing that’s helped,” she said.
Her 2025 season was cut short prematurely due to ongoing injury and fitness concerns that have repeatedly disrupted her career.
Emma Raducanu indicated she wouldn’t return to the court immediately after her Australian Open exit
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Following her Melbourne exit, Raducanu indicated she would take time to assess her game upon returning home.
She acknowledged that her partnership with coach Francisco Roig, who joined her team last summer, has yet to produce the desired results on court.
“I definitely want to feel better on certain shots before I start playing again,” she said, adding that she intended to review footage of her performances to identify areas for improvement.
The British player admitted there was a disconnect between her current form and her aspirations.
“I want to be playing a different way, and I think the misalignment with how I’m playing right now and how I want to be playing is something that I just want to work on,” Raducanu explained.
