We have not written a story like this on Tennis365 before, but it feels like the time is right to take a stand.
Since winning the 2021 US Open, Emma Raducanu has become one of the biggest names in tennis, as her iconic victory in New York catapulted her to global superstardom.
The lucrative sponsorship deals rolled in and the expectations were raised to levels that were never likely to be sustainable for a teenager who had barely played on the WTA Tour prior to becoming. Grand Slam champion.
This felt like the ultimate feel good story in women’s tennis, but it also attracted a negative element who quickly developed an obsession for celebrating Raducanu’s setbacks.
It didn’t take long for social media accounts to start popping up, created solely to mock and ridicule Raducanu. The new star of British sport was given a crash course in what it felt like to be in the eye of a publicity storm.
A few weeks after her US Open win, Raducanu was faced with a very real threat as a stalker being convicted of harassment after he walked 23 miles to her home.
Amrit Magar, 35, left the Raducanu feeling her “freedom has been taken away and constantly looking over her shoulder”, Bromley Magistrates’ Court heard after he was handed a five-year restraining order.
The former delivery driver north-east London turned up three times at Raducanu’s home in south-east London home, leaving a bouquet of flowers with a note reading “nothing to say but you deserve love” and posted a card including a hand-drawn map to show how far he had walked from his home to the teenager’s address.
Raducanu’s victim statement during the court case made for especially difficult listening, as prosecutor Denise Clewes said: “The incidents made her feel very apprehensive if she goes out. Her parents are reluctant to let her go out on her own. She feels her freedom has been taken away and is constantly looking over her shoulder.
“She feels her privacy has been invaded, which makes her feel uncomfortable and uneasy.”
It was a disturbing case and highlighted how radically Raducanu’s life had changed after her US Open win, yet that alarming stalking case did not stop the tide of negativity washing towards this inspirational sporting star.
More Tennis News
Emma Raducanu can expect ‘gifts’ as she signs up for new Queen’s Club tournament
Full WTA statement and video after shocking Emma Raducanu incident in Dubai
Obsessed online trolls were indulging in what could be described as social media stalking as they accused Raducanu of feigning injuries and lacking the appetite to compete at the highest level after becoming very rich very quickly after her US Open win.
Much of this negativity was rooted in jealousy from those who didn’t like the idea of a bright new role model inspiring young girls around the world with his grace and brilliance on the court.
A leap back into the top 100 of the WTA Rankings last year was a decent achievement after she missed a large part of 2023 due to injury and now, she is knocking on the door of a return to the top 50 after playing a host of tournaments at the start of this year.
Amid the positivity on court, Raducanu could be forgiven for wondering why she is still in a sport that has shown her so little love.
Some rival players seem to resent the fame and fortune that have come her way and even in British tennis circles, there has been negativity around a player who has already given so much to the sport and could still have so much more to give.
From our experience on Tennis365, negative stories about Raducanu often perform better than positive tales about the now 22-year-old and this may go some way to explaining why she is often in the eye of a storm for all the wrong reasons.
She has made some mistakes and the initial drive to promote sponsors on her social media platforms gave the impression that her management company were eager to promote her brand first and her sporting career second.
Amid all the negativity Raducanu has been forced to deal with, that stalking story from 2021 would have left the biggest mental scar, so when a repeat occurred in Dubai earlier this month, her fearful reaction was hard to witness and entirely understandable.
A man who “exhibited fixated behaviour” towards Raducanu was given a restraining order and banned from future tennis tournaments after she was approached by a man displaying what the WTA described as “fixated behaviour” before her second-round defeat to Karolina Muchova.
Anyone who was not moved by the sight of a terrified young girl cowering behind the umpire’s chair after the second game as she spotted the man in the first few rows of seats must have a cold heart and she deserved so much credit for continuing the match after that ugly incident.
Raducanu during a match
After returning home to Britain, Raducanu stayed out of the limelight as she pondered her next move, with news that she ‘had decided’ to play in next week’s WTA 1000 suggesting she had considered staying away from one of the biggest events in tennis.
In truth, it would not be surprising if Raducanu is pondering whether she wants to put up with the hassle that comes with her appearances on the biggest stages in tennis at all, with the cash in the bank from the last three years giving her the freedom to leave tennis behind if that felt like a more desireable life.
This bright young lady has spoken about her ambitions to study at Oxford University and after her latest incident with an unwanted admirer, tennis has to do all it can to ensure this bright star of the sport does not conclude that a life away from the court would be more enjoyable than the one she currently has on it.
Women’s tennis needs star names to propel the sport in a landscape dominated by the men’s game and with back-to-back events where the ATP Tour and WTA Tour will be on the same stages in Indian Wells and Miami, players of Raducanu’s status are essential to drive interest and capture TV audiences.
The time has come for all in our sport to unite behind Raducanu, banish the negativity too many are desperate to promote around her and ensure we don’t lose a player who could be a jewel in the crown of the women’s game for many years to come.
READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu’s ranking, prize money, sponsors and her next tournament
The post Emma Raducanu could quit tennis for good – we can’t allow that to happen appeared first on Tennis365.