Emma Raducanu touches topic of other side of fame by calling out “sharks” in tennis tours who think of her as “piggy bank”

The Brit claimed that despite dealing with injuries, she still had to play throughout to avoid being perceived as "weak".

Emma Raducanu touches topic of other side of fame by calling out “sharks” in tennis tours who think of her as “piggy bank”

Emma Raducanu (Image via GB News)

Emma Raducanu opened up about the mental struggles she has been dealing with since winning the 2021 US Open as a qualifier which made her an overnight star. She did not drop a set throughout her stay at the Flushing Meadows and secured a victory in the final by beating Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3. This made her the first player in history (both man and woman) to win a Grand Slam as a qualifier.

However, ever since that lone Grand Slam win, Raducanu has been the center of attraction. While fans expect her to shine in every event she takes part in, the critics are ready with their knives out after the Brit’s failures. Such has been the intensity of the criticism that the Brit wishes she had never won that title. Raducanu, now 20, has often dealt with public scrutiny due to her lack of form, mid-match retirement, and also frequent coaching changes. The youngster explained how it was tough for her to deal with the criticism at a time when her body was not listening to her.

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That is the reason, the Brit slammed those “sharks” who attack her continuously due to her failure despite not knowing much about her injury struggles. She called out those people in the tennis industry to think of her as a “piggy bank“.

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“When I won, I was extremely naive,” Raducanu told The Sunday Times. “What I have realized in the past two years, the tour and everything that comes with it, it’s not a very nice, trusting, and safe space. You have to be on guard because there are a lot of sharks out there. I think people in the industry, especially with me because I was 19, now 20, they see me as a piggy bank.“

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Emma Raducanu thinks the tennis tour is completely brutal

Emma Raducanu touches topic of other side of fame by calling out "sharks" in tennis tours who think of her as "piggy bank"
Emma Raducanu (Image via Tennis Tonic)

Emma Raducanu couldn’t make it past the second round of a Grand Slam event since the 2021 US Open. The 20-year-old recently underwent surgeries on both hands and her ankle and resultantly, missed the 2023 French Open. Raducanu is set to miss the 2023 Wimbledon Championship as well.

The Brit claimed that despite dealing with injuries, she still had to play throughout to avoid being perceived as “weak”. She touched on the topic of the other side of fame which makes a huge impact on mental health.

“It has been difficult to navigate. I have been burnt a few times. I have learnt- keep your circle as small as possible. And then to be scrutinized for it when they don’t know what is going on.

“I am very young and still learning and making mistakes. It is a lot harder when you are making mistakes in front of everyone and everyone has something to say about it. The tour is completely brutal,” she added.

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