Emma Raducanu can't be "expected" to play every tournament like historic US Open 2021, believes Justine Henin

Seven-time Grand Slam winner Justine Henin recently commented on 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu's exit from the ongoing 2023 Australian Open.

Raducanu was knocked out of the Melbourne Park Major after losing in straight sets to Coco Gauff in a tense second-round match. The World No. 77 looked impressive against the American seventh seed but a lack of consistency and practice led to a 6-3, 7-6, (7-4) defeat.

The 20-year-old battled an ankle ailment in Auckland prior to playing in Melbourne, and her defeat means she has not advanced to the third round of a Grand Slam since her historic victory at the 2021 US Open.

Following this, former World No. 1 Henin recently told Eurosport that Emma Raducanu cannot be expected to play every tournament as she did at the 2021 US Open and that the Brit still has a lot of room to improve.

"We cannot expect Emma to play every tournament like she played when she won the US Open. She’s still developing, and we’re talking about the identity of her game. She has to be more structured, and for that she has to train and practise," Henin said.

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"Coco Gauff showed her experience, Emma Raducanu just didn’t have enough to push it to a final set" - Justin Henin

Coco Gauff and Emma Raducanu pictured at the 2023 Australian Open - Day 3.

Justine Henin, who won the 2004 Australian Open, said that Coco Gauff used her experience to deal with "important" points while Emma Raducanu didn't have enough "push" to go for the final set.

"We could feel the tension in the match, but Gauff showed her experience. Emma just didn’t have enough to push it to a final set. Gauff had more experience and dealt with the important points better. Both are very young, and they have to keep improving and developing. I’m sure both of them will play a lot of matches together," Henin said.

The Belgian star also advised Raducanu to find stability with her coaches rather than changing them frequently, stating that if she does so, she will be able to achieve her goals gradually.

"Tennis life is hard. You have to work hard, take time and get to know each other. You have to know yourself, too. Stability helps because it helps you through big and difficult moments. If you work three or six months with a coach, that’s often not enough time to work together, and you cannot do the job in three or six months," Henin said.

"It’s not 10 or 20 weeks at Emma’s age [that she needs to put in], it’s every day. It’s a huge routine, but it’s a necessity to get to the goals she wants to achieve," she added.