‘Emma Raducanu needs time to mature’ – Judy Murray says teenager must be patient with body

Judy Murray has encouraged Emma Raducanu to hire more females as she continues to wrestle with her fitness.

Raducanu burst onto the scene by winning last year’s US Open, but has since struggled with fitness and injuries.

And former Fed Cup captain Murray said that the teenager’s body will need time to develop in order to cope with top-level professional tennis.

“What’s becoming increasingly clear is that Raducanu’s body needs time to mature,” Murray wrote in the Daily Telegraph.

“If you strip away the fact she was catapulted into this amazing success following her US Open triumph last September, she is no different to any other young player in the sense that her body needs time to fill out, become more robust and resilient. It’s a process that simply doesn’t happen overnight, especially when the physical demands on her body are at an all-time high.

“The further you get up the tree, the tougher it is on both the mind and body. But on the physical side, you have to start to look at the other factors that can influence performance – sleep, nutrition and psychology are all part of that package.”

Murray, mother of three-time Grand Slam winner and former British number one Andy, also reflected on her son’s adaptation to the demands of the tour.

And she promoted the use of a physio in understanding how to best manage the hectic calendar.

“I remember when Andy (Murray) was making the step up from the juniors to the ATP tour,” she wrote. “He had a number of recurring physical problems. In particular, he suffered from a lot of cramping. His body was perfectly ready for the demands of the lower rungs of the circuit but not necessarily for the heavier hitting, the longer, more rigorous rallies and stronger opponents he came up against on the tour.

“Players often have shared access to physios at WTA and ATP events but I cannot understate how crucial it is to have someone who knows a player’s body, style of play and understands the physical demands of tennis.”

And Murray added the presence of females in one’s entourage could help Raducanu better manage her time on tour, her health and development.

“I think there’s a particular point to be made here about female players such as Raducanu having access to a specialist who understands the female body,” she added.

“The menstrual cycle and its impact on athletic performance is an area of sports science that has been woefully neglected and only now are we beginning to understand its impact on an athlete, both psychologically and physically.

“How many of today’s top female players, I wonder, are harnessing the peaks and troughs of their cycle and tailoring it to their training and performance? How many could feel more empowered by investing in a women’s health physio or specialist and making their entourage that bit more female-centric?”