“Emma Raducanu needs to be protected” Former Grand Slam winner asks media to not burden Raducanu with unnecessary pressure
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Emma Raducanu with the US Open 2021 Trophy
18-year old Emma Raducanu created history when she became the first qualifier in the history of tennis to win a Grand Slam title as she defeated Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the finals of the US Open 2021. Emma won the match 6-4, 6-3 to win her 10th straight match in New York without dropping a single set including her 3 qualifying rounds.
Speaking about Emma’s big achievement, Sue Barker, winner of the 1976 French Open and former World No. 3, talked about how Emma needs to enjoy her tennis and not have the extreme pressure of winning every tournament she participates in. Barker who is now a TV presenter took the example of Naomi Osaka to show how athletes can be affected by constant media pressure.
“We have to remember that Emma is going to suddenly get the pressure and the expectation, she has to have that. Personally, the way she’s handling herself, it’s not going to affect her. Hopefully, I’m right, with it comes that. You mention Naomi Osaka, she was only 20 when she won the US Open and she said it changed her life, changed her life in a way she didn’t like.
“Now, we’re possibly losing her from the game a few years later, which is really sad to see. Particularly in this world, not when I was playing in the 1970s, the way social media is used to put pressure on athletes it’s so much harder,” said Barker on how Naomi has said on multiple occasions that she does not feel motivated and interested to play tennis anymore.
“She has great people behind her” Barker praises Emma Raducanu’s team and parents
Despite her shot to fame after her success at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships where she became the youngest British woman to reach the 4th round, Emma has stayed grounded and has not let her fame get into her tennis, something which she credits to her team and her parents who have made sure that Emma apart from tennis also pursues other hobbies and completes her education.
“She needs to be protected. She has a very good team around her and her parents seem so brilliant in the way they’re taking her through, letting her do her A-Levels, just managing her career. She has great people behind her,” added Barker. Emma had just completed her A-levels a few weeks prior to making her debut at the Wimbledon.
With what happened to Naomi is an alarming call about the mental issues of athletes, one can only wish that Naomi returns back to action completely fit and Emma does not go down the road where the media pressure drives her away from the game as it happened with Bjorn Borg who retired just aged 26 after having big success early in his career and feeling burnout just at the age of 26.
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