Former British tennis professional Dan Evans has expressed firm belief that Emma Raducanu will one day lift the Wimbledon trophy, praising her mental composure in high-stakes matches even as injuries continue to disrupt her career trajectory.

Evans backs Raducanu's grand slam potential

Speaking to The Telegraph, Evans — who retired at Wimbledon 2026 — offered an insight into what sets the 23-year-old apart from her peers. 'She's good, and I think – I'm saying this in as nice a way as possible – I think she thinks she's good,' he said. 'Not in an arrogant way, but when she plays big matches, she's like 'Whatever. This is just another match.' And yeah, I just think one day she'll get it.'

Raducanu famously became the first qualifier in the Open era to win a Grand Slam title when she claimed the 2021 US Open without dropping a set. However, her rise has since been punctuated by repeated physical setbacks.

Injury and ranking slide

Raducanu has slipped outside the Top 100 in the world rankings after being forced to withdraw from both Wimbledon and the US Open — colloquially known as Flushing Meadows — due to a stress fracture in her right leg. Her absence from the sport's two marquee events underlines the physical toll that has shadowed a career of undeniable promise.

Training commitment and commercial tug-of-war

Evans also addressed persistent questions over Raducanu's commitment, pushing back against the narrative while acknowledging real-world pressures. 'There's no doubt she needs to have a racket in her hand a bit more,' he said. 'I'm sure she's getting pushed side-to-side by endorsements, and there's a bit of tug of war on what she needs to do, what she doesn't.'

He added that, based on reports from those close to her, her training discipline is not in question. 'I admit I've not watched her practices very often, but from what I'm told she's a good trainer: she works for two, three hours in a row with hardly any break.'

Evans' grievance over retirement treatment

Beyond his comments on Raducanu, Evans used the interview to speak candidly about what he described as a lack of respect shown to him at the end of his playing career. He was denied a wildcard for the Wimbledon singles draw and played his final professional match — a doubles fixture — on Court 15, away from the tournament's showcourt stages.

Evans directed his criticism at Leon Smith, Great Britain's Davis Cup captain and head of men's tennis at the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). 'My gripe is that there's no connection made between what people have done for British tennis, by playing in the Davis Cup, and the wildcards,' Evans said. 'Because the amount of times I probably didn't want to play Davis Cup, but I did it... and then I couldn't get a wild card into the Ilkley Challenger.'

Evans stated bluntly: 'I just think it's a lack of respect, but that's what you come to expect from the Davis Cup captain. Once he doesn't need you, that's what you get, isn't it? So, you know, he won't be on my Christmas cards this year, and he didn't respond to my message I sent him after (retirement).'

What's next for Raducanu

With the stress fracture reportedly healed, all eyes will be on whether Raducanu can rebuild her ranking and make a sustained push at the Grand Slams. Evans' endorsement, coming from a fellow British player who has shared dressing rooms and Davis Cup campaigns with her, adds weight to the argument that her 2021 US Open triumph was no fluke — and may only be the first chapter of her story at the sport's biggest stages.