Emma Raducanu: Early US Open success ‘a very big burden’ – Greg Rusedski reacts to Brit’s press conference

Emma Raducanu’s success in winning the US Open as a qualifier has come too early, which has become a “very big burden”, says former British tennis star Greg Rusedski.

Ahead of the Masters 1000 event, one of the biggest tournaments leading up to the French Open, Raducanu gave a press conference in which she answered 16 questions from journalists in just fifty-eight words, with several one-word responses. The WTA moderator eventually stepped in to cut the press conference short.

The longest answer the 20-year-old gave was a 14-word reply to a question about her performances at Indian Wells and Miami: “Yeah, it was a good trip in America. Tough match [against Bianca Andreescu in Miami]. But, yeah, moving on.”

Raducanu’s reception during the press conference raised questions about her mindset and mental state heading into the Madrid Open.

Some journalists even asked if she was deliberately making the interview hard to conduct, to which she replied “no”.

“She did the hardest thing you can possibly do in tennis and win a major from qualifying, which we will never see again in our lifetime.

“Yes, there has not been a consistent team around her since her victory, which is unfortunate, but she was not prepared for global superstardom after winning the US Open.

“She has felt too much expectation ever since and pressure. The freedom and joy have unfortunately disappeared. I really hope she can find the love of the game she once had and enjoy her tennis.

“If she can get healthy, stay in the moment each day, [with] each practice, there is no reason she cannot get back to having a great career,” he continued.

“Unfortunately, too much success too early can be a very big burden to carry if you are not prepared for it. I really hope she can get back.”

Raducanu burst onto the scene at the US Open in 2021 as a wild card entry and made history as a qualifier.

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