'Usually you slowly build your way up': Caroline Wozniacki sympathizes with Emma Raducanu's post-US Open pressure

Caroline Wozniacki has spoken about the immense pressure Emma Raducanu faced after winning the 2021 US Open title. The Dane believes that such "unusual" early success hampered the Brit's adaptation to the WTA Tour.

Raducanu recently reached world No. 37, her best ranking in several years since losing the points from her major title. However, it has taken her almost four years to return to the top-40, all while expectations and the spotlight have remained on her throughout this period.

According to Wozniacki, achieving such a significant result as Raducanu's at such a young age—winning the title at just 18—placed excessive pressure on her, with high expectations for her to maintain her great results quickly. "You always get all these opinions from people around, but nobody knows what you go through on the practice court, what you work on and how hard you work," Wozniacki stated.

"It is so much easier for me sitting here than it is when you're in it. You really need to just lock everybody else out,” she added. "Nobody knows what she has been going through. The fact that she has won a Grand Slam and that was kind of her first burst on the scene is very unusual.”

"So that obviously puts a lot of pressure on her, but at the same time, you need to go back and say 'this is where I am now,” stated the former world No. 1. “'My level is 20 [in the world] or 30' and just say 'I need to build from there'. Usually you start from a low ranking and you slowly build your way up.”

"She kind of started at the top and then fell down and needs to work her way back and that can be hard."

Wozniacki also touched on the continuous process of improvement in tennis. "I think you are constantly trying to improve," she added. "As a tennis player, you are never a complete player, whether you are Rafa, Roger or Novak, you can always improve. That is the fun thing about tennis but also the most frustrating thing. You need to know your base, what are you really good at, and where you feel comfortable.”

"That is where you need to be 100% at all times, so if you are not feeling your best you can go back to it, but from there you need to add on. For me, it was always my forehand, my first serve was kind of in and out, my movement was great, my backhand was great. I could always rely on those shots."