“This must be the funniest thing an athlete ever said”- Emma Raducanu ridiculed for her rationale behind skipping 2024 Roland Garros
The 21-year-old has been absent from the tour since April.
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Emma Raducanu (Image via Imago)
British tennis ace Emma Raducanu skipped the 2024 French Open because she wanted to focus on the grass-court season and the hardcourt swing. While other top players on the tour were competing in Paris, Raducanu was practicing on grass and preparing for the Rothesay Open. Raducanu also felt that there was no need for her to try and peak at the French Open as her focus lies somewhere else.
The Briton is clear about her goals for this season. Raducanu wants to start things from where it all began for her three years ago. The 21-year-old says that Nottingham holds a special place in her heart because everything changed for her ever since then.
Thus, as Raducanu looks to get her pro career back on track, she is going back to the drawing board. Although she played in the first half of the 2024 season, Raducanu could not find her best rhythm. She played on hard courts as well as a few tournaments on clay. But as things did not pan out as expected, the Briton decided to take a break and prepare for the grass-court season. She also talked about getting used to the weight of the balls used on grass.
It was important for me to take time to transition on to the grass, because the balls over the grass-court season are so heavy. I feel like conditions are getting slower and slower on grass courts and especially for myself having had wrist surgeries, I needed to prioritize the transition...This year, I don't need to rush to try to peak and win the French Open. That wasn't my goal and I have to prioritize where I want to target.Emma Raducanu said about her decision to skip French Open. (H/T: WTA)
Netizens cannot understand Emma Raducanu’s thought process
The rationale from Emma Raducanu for missing the 2024 French Open did not sit well with a few fans on the internet who felt it made no sense to miss out on a Grand Slam tournament. A user on X went on to call it the “funniest thing an athlete ever said”.
The user highlighted the number of matches played by Raducanu in the 2024 season and then questioned the thought process behind missing a Grand Slam tournament.
World number 209 playing 10 matches a year, skipping a slam cause she needs to prioritize where she wants to target her peak. This must be the funniest thing an athlete ever said.The user on X wrote about Emma Raducanu.
A few others agreed with this user and criticized Raducanu for her statement.
However, a few fans felt that it was wise of Raducanu to pick and choose tournaments considering the injuries she has had to deal with in the past.
Notably, while the debate about her deciding to skip the French Open will continue, Raducanu has her head sorted and is now all prepped up for the grass-court season. She will open her campaign at the Rothesay Open against qualifier Ena Shibahara. It is to be seen if her practice sessions yield some result or if Raducanu will have to find another way to make a strong comeback to the tour.
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Ritesh Pathak
(2150 Articles Published)