Emma Raducanu’s silence speaks volumes as criticism floods in following US Open defeat
The 21-year-old lost in the first round of the competition last week
Today marks exactly a week since Emma Raducanu was sent crashing out of the US Open.
And the tennis star has since gone silent, with the 21-year-old facing a tidal wave of criticism over her schedule following her latest setback.
Prior to the tournament, Raducanu had played just one hard-court match. After controversially skipping the Paris Olympics, it was meant to be a decision that would pay off.
Yet that wasn’t the case. While the Briton performed well against Sofia Kenin, her American opponent prevailed in three sets to make the second round of the competition.
After Raducanu lost at Wimbledon earlier in the year, she took to social media to thank fans for their support.
She has since gone silent after this setback, however, with the 21-year-old continuing to digest the defeat.
Some critics have suggested Raducanu is too busy picking up sponsorship deals to legitimately care about tennis.
That is a step too far, though. Her emotional reaction to her US Open defeat proves she cares and is passionate about the game. She wants to succeed – and her failure to make it beyond the first round clearly devastated her as she addressed those in attendance at her post-match press conference.
“I feel down… I feel, I feel sad,” she said. “Obviously, this is a tournament I really want to do well in.”
Raducanu is now spending some time away from the court. She has vowed to learn from the experience as she battles to regain the form that made her a Grand Slam winner just three years ago.
But pundits have been critical. They have offered their take on her downfall in their droves.
Martina Navratilova, speaking earlier this week, urged her to ‘take ownership of herself’.
The tennis icon added: “Emma needs to be in charge and she’s old enough to know what she should be doing – surround herself with good people and then trust in them, and give it time so that you can see the results.
“Technically she is great, but she needs more matchplay. I still don’t think she is as fit as she should be.”
Emma Raducanu has been urged to ‘take ownership’ by Martina Navratilova following her recent US Open exitPA
Even Tim Henman, who previously backed her decision on her schedule, has changed his tune.
“Obviously they were big tournaments and she wasn’t a direct acceptance [into the main draw] but in hindsight she probably should have been in qualifying to get those match reps under her belt,” he said.
Fans on social media have been brutal, too.
Some referenced Andy Murray, saying the Briton would be ‘laughing’ after Raducanu denied him one last match at Wimbledon earlier this summer.
