Tennis community enraged after Sinner and Raducanu top 'most disappointing' vote

Jannik Sinner and Emma Raducanu have controversially topped a list for 'the most disappointing players of the season' for 2022.

The pair picked up the unwanted accolade from French newspaper L'Equipe mainly due to a mix of their anticipated compared to their actual performance and for a fall in their ranking.

Raducanu was at a career high World No.10 in July but has fallen to World No.80. The Brit was hampered by enhanced pressure following her shock US Open triumph alongside a loss of form and a host of niggling injuries.

Sinner, by comparison, only fell five places from World No.10 to World No.15, but one ATP title all season and some high profile leads let slip in Grand Slams - to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon and Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open - have been enough to convince to French daily to put Sinner to the top of the list.

L'Equipe wrote: "In his three Grand Slam quarterfinals, he has never been able to get past the round. Listless against Stefanos Tsitsipas in Melbourne, no solution against Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon despite him leading by two sets, and finally overwhelmed by Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open in a monumental match."

But the publication has faced an online backlash after fans of the sport questioned the value of having such a ranking.

Sport & performance psychologist Daria Abramowicz, who has worked with World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, criticized the newspaper, calling the idea "disappointing."

That prompted former Australian player Rennae Stubbs to express her rage at the media outlet for such a step.

Stubbs Tweeted: "Absolutely ridiculous",  while Abramowicz added "Ideas like this one are disappointing. Why would they even publish that kind of 'rankings'?" 

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