Former Olympic champion Monica Puig believes Emma Raducanu must focus more on her tennis and not become sidetracked by social media and sponsorship promotion.
Since her shock win at the US Open in 2021 at the age of 18, Raducanu has made around $18 million in sponsorship deals, which she regularly promotes on her social media accounts. But Puig has warned Raducanu about the possible negativity that surrounds social media and has urged the 20-year-old to use her platforms carefully.
"Don't focus on social media because we all know that social media is a great tool to boost your brand but it can be toxic, especially for a person like Raducanu who has so many people following her and so many people who want to see her succeed and also a lot of people who don't, You're not going to have everybody who loves you. You're going to have those who are not going to like you."
After beating Leylah Fernandez in the US Open final at Flushing Meadows in 2021, Raducanu 's career has been inconsistent. The British player reached her highest ranking of 10th last season but has fallen out of the top 70 in recent months following injuries and poor form.
Puig has compassion for Raducanu due to the media attention surrounding her at a young age. But the Puerto Rican believes that Raducanu must rediscover her playing style and approach to progress on the court.
"She still needs time to develop and time to find out who she is as a tennis player, who she is as a person and I can sympathise with her because when I won the Olympics it came out of nowhere. I didn't have as much media attention as she does and I can only imagine coming from the UK where something like that is so big. It just exploded."
Raducanu was eliminated from the 2023 Australian Open in January by Coco Gauff in the second round. She is expected to participate in the upcoming ATX Open in Austin, which begins on February 27, 2023.
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