'I am really worried' - Ronnie O'Sullivan urges Emma Raducanu to seek out sports psychiatrist Steve Peters

Updated 05/11/2021 at 19:43 GMT

“I am watching Emma Raducanu and I am really worried as there seems to be a lot of pressure on her,” O’Sullivan told Eurosport after booking his place in the semi-finals of the English Open. “The best phone call she can make is to Steve Peters. I think at the moment, it’s not her tennis ability it’s just handling the stuff around it.”

‘It’s the best signing ever!’ - O'Sullivan urges Raducanu to contact Steve Peters

Ronnie O'Sullivan has called on US Open champion Emma Raducanu to put in a call to acclaimed sports psychiatrist Steve Peters.

Raducanu shocked the tennis world when winning the US Open in September at the age of 18, having burst onto the scene at Wimbledon earlier in the summer.

At Wimbledon, Raducanu had to retire from her fourth-round match with Ajla Tomljanovic, citing breathing difficulties. She bounced back to taste major glory, but has struggled since her remarkable efforts in New York - with huge expectation on her shoulders.

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Raducanu is on the lookout for a full-time coach, but O’Sullivan feels working on the mental side of her game would be of greater benefit.

“I am watching Emma Raducanu and I am really worried as there seems to be a lot of pressure on her,” O’Sullivan told Eurosport after booking his place in the semi-finals of the English Open.

The best phone call she can make is to Steve Peters. I think at the moment, it’s not her tennis ability it’s just handling the stuff around it.

O’Sullivan has credited Peters with helping him deal with the mental pressures that come with being an elite sportsperson.

“I have had stage fright at the World Championship: 15-10 up in the final and I can’t go out there,” O’Sullivan said. “I’ve had to call Steve Peters, and he’s just left me 10 minutes ago.

“He gives me sleep therapy sometimes, and sometimes we talk through it."

Turning back to Raducanu, O'Sullivan added: “Emma Raducanu does not need to be told how to hit a tennis ball, sometimes you just need someone to tune in to you and handle the pressure.

“The difficult part is getting out there in a good frame of mind and dealing with the pressures that come with expectation.

“I love this Emma Raducanu. I just think she should get Steve Peters on board, it’s the best signing you could ever do.”

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