British No. 1, Emma Raducanu, is said to have been seeking mentorship from Tottenham Hotspur striker, Harry Kane, about dealing with the pressures of national expectation.
The 19 year-old has endured a difficult first full season on the WTA Tour, as frequent injuries have hampered her ability to string together any prolonged consistency.
Raducanu achieved one of the most astonishing feats in sport when she won the US Open title as an 18 year-old qualifier last year. Naturally, this was going to come with an intense level of scrutiny in the twelve months following this incredible triumph.
For someone so young, who had barely played any tour level tennis prior to this year, the scrutiny has had its impact.
As England captain and Spurs' main talisman, Harry Kane knows a thing or two about the pressures of close scrutiny, as well as the weight of national expectation.
Speaking about the criticism he came under during the first matches of Euro 2020, Kane said, “It’s definitely not the first time people have doubted me. People are quick to change their mind. It wasn’t too long ago when I won the Golden Boot (as Premier League top scorer) and I was the best thing in the world. I’ve always believed in myself. I could go 10-15 games without scoring but give me a chance and I’d back myself to score it”.
Raducanu has spoken of her admiration for Kane back before, telling the WTA back in June, “One of my favourite footballers is probably Harry Kane because he is the captain of England and he is such a great role model to follow. He is super professional and takes everything to the nth degree. I definitely feel like I can learn from that”.
It could be a mentorship that bears some fruit for the British No. 1, especially as she is once again currently without a full-time coach in her team.
Whatever the case, England and Great Britain are in a much stronger place when these two are at their best.
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