Former WTA pro Naomi Broady fiercely criticized the British media’s relentless scrutiny of Emma Raducanu, arguing it has overshadowed her historic 2021 US Open triumph, per EssentiallySports. Speaking on Tennis Channel with Tracy Austin, Broady highlighted the media’s “negative press,” stating, “We have quite a negative press, I think it is fair to say. It’s kind of glass is always half-empty here,” and noted unrealistic expectations for Raducanu to “continue to win Grand Slams,” per. Broady emphasized the enormity of Raducanu’s achievement as the first qualifier to win a Major without dropping a set, saying, “They definitely didn’t understand the enormity of being the first player ever to win the U.S. Open from the qualifying,” per.
Raducanu’s 2021 US Open victory, defeating Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 at age 18, made her the youngest British Major winner since Virginia Wade in 1977 and the lowest-ranked champion (No. 150) since Kim Clijsters in 2009, per Wikipedia. However, Broady argued the media quickly forgot this feat, labeling her win a “fluke” and pressuring her to replicate it, per EssentiallySports. She previously told Tennis365 in February 2025, “People who have that attitude and say Emma got lucky… don’t understand tennis,” per. This echoed earlier defenses, like Andy Murray’s 2021 rebuke of Piers Morgan’s claim that Raducanu “couldn’t handle the pressure” after her Wimbledon withdrawal due to breathing issues, per.
Raducanu’s 2025 season, marked by a third-round Australian Open loss to Iga Swiatek (6-1, 6-0) and first-round exits in Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Dubai, fueled further criticism, per. Her brief coaching stints, including a 14-day partnership with Vladimir Platenik before Indian Wells, where she lost to Moyuka Uchijima, added to the narrative of inconsistency, per. Broady’s comments align with other supporters, like Jack Draper, who in 2024 urged critics to “give her time” to rebuild after injuries, per ESPN. The media’s focus on her sponsorships and off-court pressures, including a stalking incident in Dubai, has also drawn sympathy from figures like Monica Puig, who warned of “toxic” social media, per The Independent.
