HONEYMOON SPELL IS OVER
Under-fire Raducanu is accused of lacking heart
SINCE her fairy-tale US Open win in September 2021, Emma Raducanu has been the golden child of British tennis.
All her struggles since have been explained and excused as she searched for form and fitness.
Even her 58-word press conference at the Madrid Masters last year was put into context when she pulled out of the tournament to have wrist and ankle operations and missed eight months.
But back in the Spanish capital this year, her worst effort of the season – and her attitude – was slammed by the usually supportive Sky Sports pundits.
Even her Billie Jean King Cup captain Anne Keothavong, right, accused her of lacking heart. Raducanu’s long honeymoon is finally over.
The world No.221 declared she was tired before her 16th match of the season.And Raducanu,
21, played like it as she made 34 unforced errors and had her serve broken six times in a 6-2 6-2 defeat by Argentinian world No.82 Maria Lourdes Carle.
Keothavong, who coaxed Raducanu to two wins for her country in France this month, said: “We talk a lot about head, heart and legs. If your head and your heart aren’t in it, your legs don’t stand a chance. “She touched on the fact that she was tired. On the one hand it is good to acknowledge it. But on the other hand, if you are going to go out there on the match court, you have got to be prepared to leave it all out there – and that willingness didn’t seem evident.”
Her fellow analyst, Colin Fleming, a former Davis Cup player, added: “I don’t think Emma gave it her all. It was a bit of a shock. It was tough to watch.”
It is not the first time her dedication has been questioned amid her commitment to sponsors, but never so openly.
She now must decide whether to enter qualifying in Rome or Paris – or rest up and get ready for the grass.
As a teenager, she famously came through qualifying in New York to win the US Open title without dropping a set.
Whatever she chooses to do, Raducanu has to rediscover the spirit and smile that took her to her New York triumph.
❑ RAFA NADAL, who plans to retire this year, got his last Madrid Open off to a good start with a 6-1 6-0 victory against American Darwin Blanch.