Emma Raducanu admitted to being under a lot of mental pressure after winning the US Open at the age of 18 two years ago.
Raducanu captured the world's attention when she lifted the 2021 US Open title without dropping a set. She became the first player to qualify for a Grand Slam in the Open era and the first British player to win the US Open women's singles in more than half a century.
Raducanu has won 34 and lost 30 matches since turning professional in 2018. Photo: WTA
Since that milestone, Raducanu has not reached a WTA Tour final. She has dropped to world number 128 and will miss Wimbledon next month due to injury.
"When I won the US Open, I was a naive girl," Raducanu said in an interview with the Sunday Times. "Over the past two years I've realised that things are not good, trustworthy and safe in this industry. You have to be careful because there are sharks out there. They see a 19, 20-year-old girl like me as a piggy bank."
Raducanu said she faced the pressure to succeed on the court despite not being in the best shape. "I had a sore wrist for a year but I kept training with my new coach to prove that I wasn't weak," the Briton said. "Sometimes I wish I had never won the US Open. After losing after losing, I was resilient but it wasn't easy."
Raducanu has not advanced beyond the second round of any Grand Slam since the 2021 US Open. She admits that negative emotions arise when facing the scrutiny of fans, expectations of experts and sponsors. Besides playing tennis, Raducanu has ventured into the fashion industry and participated in television shows. British media have repeatedly said that this tennis player lacks focus on her career.
Raducanu was not completely dedicated to tennis before winning the US Open. She studied and played tennis at the same time, took long breaks from competition and did not have impressive results in junior tournaments. After the 2021 US Open, the 20-year-old tennis player continuously changed coaches and suffered dozens of different injuries.
Raducanu underwent surgery on both hands on May 7 and is expected to return later this season. She has missed Roland Garros, Wimbledon and has little chance of playing in the US Open this year. Earlier this year, she lost in the second round of the Australian Open to Coco Gauff.
Vy Anh
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