Emma Raducanu could cause problems in the US Open draw next week due to her extensive layoff as contrasted to others who have played in a tight schedule, according to Laura Robson.
The 21-year-old has not won a match at Flushing Meadows since her spectacular victory at the 2021 tournament.
She was knocked out in the first round the next year and missed the competition in 2023 while she recovered from surgery.
Raducanu is currently back at the US Open as she bids to continue her steady rise back up the rankings.
The former British No 1 experienced a great grasscourt campaign, which concluded in a fourth-round exit at Wimbledon.
That put her in strong stead coming to the hardcourt season and she made it to the quarter-finals of the Citi Open at the start of the month.
However, Raducanu hasn’t played since that defeat to eventual champion Paula Badosa after electing not to play in the qualifying rounds for the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open.
She also skipped events in Cleveland and Mexico alongside Raducanu deciding to devote all her emphasis on practicing at the US Open.
The British tennis player has faced some criticism for not playing in more events ahead of the final major of the year while the likes of Jessica Pegula, Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka have had a busy schedule.
However, Robson argues that Raducanu may potentially benefit from skipping many events to make her more fresh for the US Open.
“She’s not a player who needs a huge amount of matches going into a big event,” she remarked.
“I believe we’ve seen it previously, where she might play the week before, just to get some fine-tuning done, but she really appreciates the training block and plays her best tennis when she’s coming off a really good couple of weeks of practice.
“It’s a really good sign that, yes, she’s had a few matches and has some confidence and some wins under her belt, but also has the chance to get to New York feeling as fresh as possible, whereas everyone else is probably feeling a bit shattered already.”
Raducanu has gone up to 71st in the global rankings in the past several months and will have a solid opportunity of rising much further at the US Open.
The British tennis player has stayed quiet in recent weeks as to why she skipped events in Canada and Cincinnati.
However, Raducanu intimated earlier this year that she wouldn’t overdo it on her comeback from surgery at the start of the year and would focus more on practicing.
“I think you can gain confidence two ways, by winning matches or by practising very well. I’ve been practising extremely well even though I’m technically lighter on matches,” she remarked.
“But that’s the way I like doing things right now and maybe more going forwards.”