Emma Raducanu's US Open win was a great moment for her but also became a handicap, according to former WTA player Martina Navratilova.
One of the most unlikely and most amazing things we've seen in tennis in recent history was the US Open run by Emma Raducanu a few years ago. A basically unknown player not only qualified for the US Open in her first-ever appearance but also won it as a qualifier without losing a set, which never happened before.
It's likely that it won't happen again, but it's still Raducanu's career highlight. Some might be surprised by that, but those who played tennis warned fans that her career would be bumpy after this surprise triumph.
Navratilova spoke about it recently with Sky Sports, admitting that it was a great achievement but also became a handicap for the rest of her career.
"It was amazing when she won but it's become a handicap because the expectations have gone sky-high. It wasn't a fluke because Emma has got that level. It wasn't just she played great tennis and then all of a sudden she can't play, but the pressure that's been on her since then - particularly being a Brit - you can't get away from it."
This explanation from Navratilova makes perfect sense because Raducanu has been under a lot of pressure since then. She even admitted that sometimes she wishes that she never won it.
As Navratilova explained, it's a pretty big burden to carry, especially with the Brit's name almost nonstop in the media.
"It's a big burden to carry, but hopefully she'll get back to it and most of all she needs to get healthy and stay healthy - and, that way, you can build on that. It's hard to build any confidence and momentum from winning because you don't stay healthy enough to win."
"It's a nasty Catch 22 where you can win with confidence but you can't have confidence without winning. Hopefully she'll get healthy and stay healthy so we'll see her talent again."
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