"Everyone Just Expected Me To Win Every Single Tournament": says Raducanu

Emma Raducanu has spoken honestly about the scrutiny she has received since last year's US Open and how unrealistic some of the expectations of her have been.

The 19-year-old's rise to stardom was one of the most sudden ever seen in tennis. She entered the 2021 US Open as a qualifier and had only become known to the tennis world after winning a few rounds at that year's Wimbledon Championships.

What followed was simply extraordinary. Raducanu stormed to her maiden Grand Slam title without dropping a set. She defeated her fellow teenager Leylah Fernandez in the final.

The only downside to that incredible success was how unrealistic many became about what Raducanu would achieve after that. That meant when she had a difficult start to 2022, the harshness of some of the criticism was excessive.

Her tough 2022 seemed to worsen when she retired from her opening-round match in Nottingham. Fortunately, Raducanu has since confirmed that it was just a minor strain, meaning her Wimbledon preparation is not in doubt.

In a recent interview with her sponsor Nike, Raducanu discussed how much her life changed after her runs at Wimbledon and especially the US Open and how people expected so much of her after that.

Raducanu then admitted the hopes placed on her shoulders were unrealistic and that she was working on not fearing not being perfect all the time.

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