Six months ago, the British teenager Emma Raducanu became the new star in the tennis sky with her triumph at the US Open. Success opened many doors for her off the pitch, but reality quickly caught up with the Brit on the court. Criticism of their development continues to escalate.
Emma Raducanu’s world is still fine on Instagram these days. There, the shooting star can be seen either training, traveling, together with a group of fans, playing golf and jet skiing or in glossy photos for one of their numerous top-class sponsors – always smiling and in a good mood, of course.
But the good mood and the smile are the British, who made a meteoric rise in the past year and to to the new star in the tennis sky was proclaimed, not infrequently passed in the past few months. Nothing of this can be seen in the Instagram illusory world. There, their defeats on the pitch are skilfully hidden. In the real world, however, they dominate the headlines.
Raducanu’s first-round loss in Miami to Czech Katerina Siniakova, 40 places down in the world rankings, was just the latest in a string of setbacks. Since the Briton’s US Open triumph last September, she has lost eight of twelve matches, often losing to opponents who were actually only intended as a way station on the way to the next round.
“The respect she earned in the locker room during the US Open is gradually disappearing,” said former professional player Daniela Hantuchova, given the numerous disappointments already about Raducanu’s good reputation. The Slovak decided that hard work on the training ground was the only way out of the crisis. But quite a few believe that the 19-year-old is neglecting precisely this work.
Sharp Raducanu criticism from Kim Clijsters
Raducanu is repeatedly accused of caring too much about her sponsors and not enough about her tennis game. It’s not just anonymous Instagram users who let themselves be carried away by sometimes wild insults against the teenager. Former players are now also sharply criticizing the young Briton. For example the Belgian Kim Clijsters.
A few days ago, she sees a strong focus and the drive to keep getting better in players like the Pole Iga Swiatek, Clijsters said: “And then we see other players who take a step back and say: ‘Oh, me won a Grand Slam. I did it. Now the sponsors are coming and I’m being treated like a princess everywhere’.” The Belgian didn’t explicitly mention Raducanu’s name, but it’s clear to whom her criticism was directed.
The question is to what extent this criticism is justified. With today’s knowledge and prize money of 21.5 million euros, it’s easy for Clijsters to talk. Is that why she turned down sponsorship deals worth millions at the age of 19? And can you ask that of a player like Emma Raducanu who was largely unknown until a few months ago? To bet everything that your career will go according to plan and that many more tournament wins will follow? It would be an exceedingly bold, high-stakes bet.
Raducanu counters sponsor criticism
In Raducanu’s eyes, the allegations against her are also unfounded. She also knows that after her deals with Porsche, Dior, Tiffanys, Evian, British Airways and Co. she has opened the door wide for critics. However, she described the extent and manner as “unfair”.
“Maybe people on the news or on social media just see that I’ve got this deal or that deal. But that’s misleading because I train five, six hours a day and I’m on the facility 12 hours a day. And if I do then publish a picture of me in a car, it says: She doesn’t focus on tennis,” said Raducanu, describing her point of view.
At the same time, she admitted that the criticism left its mark on her. In the meantime, however, she is no longer so receptive to disruptive fire from outside. “And at the end of the day I feel like it’s my time [mit den Sponsoren] is quite limited. I don’t have any crazy days and spend three or four days on it every quarter. That’s really not that much,” the Brit justified herself.
Williams coach defends Raducanu
The 19-year-old has few arguments against the criticism of her disappointing sporting performances in recent months. In many matches, Raducanu played evenly with her opponent and created chances to win, but in crucial moments she missed the big points and lost. It was different back then in New York. “That’s why it’s such a brutal sport. It’s a massive learning curve for them now,” said ex-pro Tim Henman after Raducanus’ Aus in Miami.
For successful coach Patrick Mouratoglou, who led Serena Williams to numerous triumphs, it is far too early to write off Raducanu. He demanded patience when dealing with the shooting star.
“I think she can win more Grand Slams. But it’s still very early for that. She won in New York because she played without pressure. Now suddenly all the pressure is on her. And when you’re under pressure, show your weaknesses. She’s not ready for that yet. Will she be in the future? I think so,” he said, revealing what might be the only recipe that would silence Raducanu’s critics: wins on the pitch.
Christian Schenzel
