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Emma Raducanu has been told that she can win Wimbledon(Image: Getty Images)
Dan Evans has made the bold claim that Emma Raducanu is destined to win Wimbledon — despite her recent injury struggles.
Raducanu has been out of action with a leg injury since June, forcing her to withdraw from her home Grand Slam just before the tournament got underway. After four months away from the tennis court, the British star has slipped to No. 107 in the world rankings, her lowest position in two years.
Raducanu is best known for winning the US Open as a qualifier five years ago, but she's not claimed a WTA title since. Yet Evans, a former world No. 21 and member of Britain's victorious Davis Cup squad in 2015, remains firmly convinced that Raducanu has the ability to claim the Venus Rosewater Dish.
"I genuinely think she will win Wimbledon one day," the retired British player told the Telegraph. "Yeah, I don't know why. She's good, and I think — I'm saying this in as nice a way as possible — I think she thinks she's good.
"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."
Evans has never been one to hold back his opinions. The Birmingham-born player has long been a somewhat divisive personality in the sport.
Dan Evans ended his career at Wimbledon this summer(Image: Getty Images)
Upon announcing his retirement this past summer, he publicly criticized the LTA and Leon Smith — GB's Davis Cup captain and the LTA's head of men's tennis — for denying him wildcards into home tournaments to mark his farewell from professional tennis.
His forecast regarding Raducanu represents yet another daring prediction.
The ex-world No. 21 is convinced she possesses a strong work ethic and could eventually deliver a memorable performance before her home supporters at SW19.
"The crowd can play such a big part in tennis, and you have to keep yourself together on Centre Court, because it's a daunting place to go and play. But she looks like she loves it out there," he continued.
Despite capturing the 2021 US Open crown as a teenager, a Wimbledon championship might seem distant for Raducanu now, having been sidelined since her runner-up finish at Queen's on June 14. A stress fracture has kept her off the court, although she has recently resumed training.
Throughout her extended break, she has slipped beyond the world's top 100 for the first time since 2024. Evans suggests the 23-year-old might benefit from additional court time, though he acknowledges her reputation as a dedicated worker.
"There's no doubt she needs to have a racket in her hand a bit more. 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.
"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."