"If Emma Raducanu is going to listen to every little thing that is said about her then that doesn’t work" - Serena Williams' ex-coach Rick Macci

Serena Williams' former coach Rick Macci recently offered to train Emma Raducanu to make her "bulletproof" in the face of pressure and criticism.

Emma Raducanu was sidelined in the 2023 season with chronic wrist and ankle injuries, which have led to three surgeries since April. Since her triumph at the 2021 US Open, the Brit has lost 27 matches out of the 51 she has played. However, she is now focused on her comeback to the tour in 2024.

In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, Venus and Serena Williams' ex-coach, Rick Macci, spoke about Raducanu and how a professional player has to deal with the pressure of expectations.

"She should want pressure. You do all this training to be a professional player and want to be the best in the world. She has to be able to deal with what comes with that. She must be prepared to deal with the media," Macci said.

Macci added that Emma Raducanu must become "bulletproof" in the face of criticism and that he can help her achieve the same.

"To say she sometimes wishes she didn’t win the US Open because of the mental and physical strain it has brought cuts both ways; If she’s going to listen to every little thing that is said about her then that doesn’t work, you’ve got to be bulletproof and I can help her with that," Macci said.

"You need an ability to forget just as importantly as the ability to remember and she must learn from the adversity she’s faced," he added.

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"It's not where you start, it's where you finish" - Serena Williams' ex-coach advises Emma Raducanu

Emma Raducanu pictured at the 2022 US Open in New York

In the same interview with The Telegraph, Rick Macci drew the example of four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who benefitted from taking time off the WTA circuit. He opined that Emma Raducanu was maturing on her time off the courts.

"It can be good to have time out to reflect, as Naomi Osaka did before she was pregnant after success early in her career. But working on areas such as footwork and technique takes time, building confidence takes time," Macci said.

"She’s maturing and by having time out she can see who is maturing around her, what she expects of them and what she expects of herself," he added.

Delving into it further, the 68-year-old stated that it takes something special to qualify and win a Grand Slam without dropping a set, positing Emma Raducanu's triumph at the 2021 US Open.

"The good thing is she’s very young and this a long-term process, it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out. I know when you qualify and then win a Grand Slam without losing a set you’ve got something special between the ears – and much of the game is played between the ears," Macci said.

Macci's final advice to the Brit was to get the right people around her to propel her into success:

"She must have a mature mindset and it’s so important to get the right people around her. If she wants to be up there with the best in the world you have to be all in, or you’re going to be out."