Tennis coach Rick McKee with Venus Williams in 1994. Photo: Getty Images/Al Bello
The respected coach who put Serena Williams on «The Path to Greatness» wants to help revive Emma Raducanu's career by making her «bulletproof.»
But Rick McKee also warned that “I don’t know where her head is,” adding that it will take Raducanu to make real progress. show “hunger and faith.”
Raducanu has not played since April after undergoing double wrist and ankle surgery. Two years after her sensational US Open triumph at the age of 18, she had dropped to 289th in the world rankings and was left without a coach after her split from Sebastian Sachs in June.
Sachs became her fifth coach in less than two years with whom Raducanu, who turned 21 this month, worked. In a recent interview with the BBC Today programme, she suggested that «they [her coaches] weren't keeping up with the questions I was asking.»
Macci, memorably played by actor Jon Bernthal in the Oscar-winning film King Richard, nurtured the talents of tennis giants such as Serena and Venus Williams, Andy Roddick and Jennifer Capriati. Now the American says he would welcome the opportunity to work with Raducanu.
The 68-year-old Florida resident said: “I spoke to her agent, but he said her parents were involved in coaching meetings.
p>“I’m not a travel coach, people come to me. I can help her mentally and strategically like no one else. I don’t know where her head is, whether there is hunger or belief that she is the best.
“If you look at Carlos Alcaraz, everything changed for him with success at an early age, but he was ready and loaded. I don't know Emma or what's going on in her head, but you don't lose talent and ability.
“Yes, you may lose a little confidence and fitness, but technically she is very good — otherwise you won't win a Grand Slam. If she really wants to be one of the best in the world — and she has the ability — then you need to deal with the pressure that comes with that.
“She has to want the pressure. You are training to become a professional player and want to become the best in the world. She should be able to handle what comes with it. She must be prepared to deal with the media.
“To say that sometimes she wishes she had won the US Open due to the mental and physical strain, it took a toll on both sides; If she listens to every little thing they say about her, it won't work, you need to be bulletproof, and I can help her with that.
«One's ability to forget is as important as one's ability to remember, and one must learn from the adversity one faces.»
Rick McKee believes he can change Raducanu's fate, but wants her to show moral strength. Photo: USA Today/Robert Deutsch
The charismatic McKee believes spending so much time off the court could benefit Raducan in the long run. But there won't be a quick fix for the talent making history at Flushing Meadows by becoming the first player to win a major in qualifying.
He continued: “It would be good to have time to reflect, like Naomi Osaka did before of how she became pregnant after success early in her career. But working on areas like footwork and technique takes time, and building confidence takes time.
“She's maturing, and by having time out, she can see who's maturing around her, what she expects from them and what she expects. about yourself.
“The good thing is that she is very young and it is a long process, it is not where you start, but where you end. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I know that when you qualify and then win a Grand Slam without losing a set, there is something special between your ears — and most of the game is played between your ears.
“She must have mature thinking. and it is very important that she has the right people around her. If she wants to be on par with the best in the world, you have to go all in, otherwise you'll be out.» Rick McKee believes he is the one who can get Emma Raducanu's career back on track. Photo: Getty Images/John Lamparski
Macci's comments come as Raducanu moves closer to a possible return to action in the New Year. However, she is already behind her original schedule. A week ago, she withdrew from the MGM Macau Masters, a showcase event on Dec. 2 that she signed up for over the summer.
It's been three-and-a-half months since Raducanu posted her first courtside video post-surgery, showing her tenderly stroking the soft red balls back and forth with fellow rehabilitation therapist Kyle Edmund. However, sources suggest she only started training in earnest in October and is using the standard yellow balls for the first time this week.
If the rate of progress has been slower than might be expected, we may be able to explain it supervision by the Lawn Tennis Association's physiotherapy department, which would naturally prioritize safety with such a high-profile player.
It is also understood that the Raducanu family were once again considering hiring their own training specialists. (Will Herbert, the physiotherapist who accompanied her on her winning run at the US Open, now works with her close contemporary Jack Draper, and veteran fitness trainer Jez Green joined her as a consultant just over a year ago but is no longer involved.)
But staff retention remains an issue and rumors have emerged of further «artistic differences» with external experts (non-LTA) consulted. After that great US Open, everything changed for Raducanu.
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