Qinwen Zheng and Emma Raducanu have been linked in a curious comparison made by Lindsay Davenport.
Speaking about the latter when discussing the best servers on the WTA tour, the 49-year-old was questioned about the Chinese superstar and just how far away from winning a Grand Slam she was.
After all, just last year she found herself in the Australian Open final, capping off 2025 by claiming the Olympic gold medal.
Interestingly, it is this triumph, undoubtedly the greatest of her career thus far, that Davenport has used to draw a comparison between her and Emma Raducanu.
Qinwen Zheng and Emma Raducanu compared
It was Prakash Amritraj who provoked an answer out of Davenport, as he asked his co-pundit: “You brought up Zheng. I’m a huge fan of her game. Linds, do you think she’s very far off from trying to threaten for a slam?”
The Billie Jean King Cup captain, speaking on Tennis Channel Live, replied: “I think it’s going to come to her desire.
“It’s tough when you’re the most famous female from your country, and a country of that size, despite everything she’s accomplished.
“Raducanu’s life changed in the course of those three weeks [at the US Open], but so did Zheng’s last year at the Olympics.”
This came just after Davenport outlined the change Iga Swiatek has made which “hasn’t paid off”.
Emma Raducanu needs to stick with Mark Petchey
Ever since winning that US Open in 2021, Raducanu’s career has been wildly unpredictable.
From regular coaching changes to battles for form and fitness, the years following her greatest-ever success have ironically been some of the toughest.
After all, expectations reached an all-time high for a player who had no real experience on tour. Everything she has accomplished since that shock Grand Slam run has been new.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
However, now seemingly settled with her new coach, the hope is that they can continue their impressive form 2025 to maintain steady progression.
The worry is that their agreement to collaborate only extended as far as Wimbledon, with Mark Petchey giving an update on his coaching plan with Raducanu recently.
Ensuring he remains a part of the 22-year-old’s team is crucial to maintaining her upward trajectory after such a turbulent few years beforehand.