"People are going to talk regardless of what you do" - Raducanu dismisses criticism
WTA
Emma Raducanu easily outplayed Victoria Azarenka at the 2022 Cincinnati Open, and she felt like it was a win that proved her haters wrong.
The British player didn't just win the match. She completely destroyed her opponent, who is the former World No. 1 player. Raducanu won the match 6-0, 6-2 to advance to the round of 16 at the Western & Southern Open.
Only one day before beating Azarenka, the British player also beat Serena Williams. She won 6-4, 6-0, against the 23-time Grand champion. These two wins were probably among her best since her last year's US Open win.
After the match, the youngster spoke about how she realized that people would likely criticize her regardless of her results. That helped her to play better, which certainly showed in her results at the WTA 1000 event in Cincinnati.
"I think I’ve realised in the last year people are going to talk regardless of what you do. Things I do are more amplified of my situation. I’ve learned to zone in internally. Today and yesterday I didn’t show any emotion, I didn’t let myself get high or low, I was one level, I think that helped.”
During her on-court interview, Raducanu found herself at the end of an uncomfortable joke with the interviewer suggesting that wins like these against legends were a bit disrespectful. The British player handled the situation well, showing respect for her opponent.
"It was another great honour to play Vika, she’s won so many championships. It’s a great opportunity for me to be out here. I was playing a great match, for sure."
"To play Vika I had to stay really focused throughout. I could feel the important moments and a couple of turning points that could have made the second set more difficult than it already was."
