Former world No 1 Kim Clijsters has cast doubt over whether Emma Raducanu has “the right people” around her as she questioned the Brit’s approach to scheduling.
The four-time Grand Slam champion asserted that there is “obviously some misguidance” in the way Raducanu is being advised by her team.
Raducanu has faced scrutiny over her scheduling in the build-up to the 2024 US Open, where she was beaten in the opening round by Sofia Kenin.
Prior to her loss at Flushing Meadows, Raducanu had not played a match since her quarter-final loss to Paula Badosa in Washington almost a month earlier.
The 2021 US Open winner has been criticised for not entering either of the tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati before the New York Grand Slam.
The 21-year-old Brit would have needed to go through qualifying at the WTA 1000 events due to her ranking — something she has seemingly been reluctant to do this season.
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Speaking on the Served With Andy Roddick podcast, Clijsters weighed in on Raducanu’s scheduling decisions and identified two possible reasons for her approach.
“There’s two things that I think could be the reason… it’s either maybe not having the right people around you who kind of guide you and say, ‘Okay, this is important to you’, like the scheduling, building enough weeks off in between, like training blocks to improve, to mentally switch off,” said the Belgian.
“Or is it her (Raducanu herself)? Is there other things going on mentally where she’s kind of just had it with media, pressure… whatever it is. It’s only those two things that could be the cause.
“I don’t know enough about her, I don’t know her personally, I don’t know her team, I really don’t know much about that whole situation.
“I’m sorry, but if you have a team of coaches around you or whoever is in charge, there’s obviously some misguidance there.”
Raducanu will play her first tournament since the US Open at the Korea Open in Seoul, which gets underway next week.
The world No 72 will face Peyton Stearns, who is ranked 49th, in the opening round at the WTA 500 event.
Raducanu won 7-6(6), 6-2 in her only previous meeting with the 22-year-0ld American, which came in Washington at the end of July.