Former British tennis star Johanna Konta is applauding Emma Raducanu for the way in which she has been dealing with issues just lately and maintaining a robust angle regardless of receiving some fairly harsh criticism and scrutiny from British media.
After Raducanu determined to withdraw from the French Open qualifying as a result of she needed to “deal with getting ready for the grass season,” the Briton was criticized as some argued that lacking Grand Slam probabilities wasn’t sensible from her aspect. Additionally, some have been going on the 21-year-old as a result of they thought she felt so entitled that she did not need to play at Roland Garros after not receiving a most important draw wildcard.
Then, the information got here out that Raducanu opted to not signify Nice Britain on the upcoming Paris Olympics as a result of she feared rapidly going from clay to grass after which again to clay once more would result in accidents. That is when some began labeling the 2021 US Open champion “a diva” – one thing that the 21-year-old wasn’t pleased about.
However Raducanu saved going about her issues and that led to her enjoying a few of her finest tennis within the final couple of years throughout this 12 months’s grass season – she reached the Nottingham semifinal and was an Eastbourne quarterfinalist earlier than additionally making her second round-of-16 at Wimbledon. Additionally, Raducanu bought her first two top-10 wins within the final month after beating Jessica Pegula in Eastbourne and Maria Sakkari at Wimbledon, respectively.
“I believe that is the place Emma’s actually good and really mature. She has a thought, she has a path in thoughts, and she or he goes for it and she or he makes the choice, and I believe that’s a really mature strategy for a younger participant,” former three-time Grand Slam semifinalist Konta mentioned of Raducanu.
“And the identical factor along with her teaching group. I want I did that extra the place I felt like a training state of affairs wasn’t working, I didn’t look ahead to it to run its course due to how I believed the media would begin talking about it. I actually admire her for her conviction in how she goes about deciding issues for her profession.”
Konta on Raducanu’s Wimbledon marketing campaign
Raducanu’s good kind main into Wimbledon led to larger expectations being positioned on the 21-year-old, and though her run ended within the round-of-16 with a shock 2-6 7-5 2-6 loss to qualifier Lulu Solar, she did not disappoint at Wimbledon. Earlier than the Solar loss, Raducanu beat fortunate loser Renata Zarazua and dismantled Elise Mertens 6-1 6-2 and Sakkari 6-2 6-3, respectively.
Konta, a former world No. 4, believes this was an awesome outcome for the 2021 US Open champion but additionally one thing from which she will be able to study.
“I believe it’s nice to see her once more have 4 successive matches. I believe her final match in opposition to Solar was truly actually constructive. I don’t suppose we’ve had sufficient of an opportunity to see Emma in a state of affairs the place loads of resistance has been put up in opposition to her,” Konta mentioned of Raducanu’s Wimbledon run.
“I believe it was truly constructive to see her in that area, particularly how she handled that first set the place Solar performed actually sensible in opposition to her. To then see Emma actually get caught into that second set and switch the momentum a bit.
“Finally I believe in a participant’s profession that is the place you spend most of your time. You’re not going to spend your profession simply rolling by way of all people. She’s going to begin successful these matches increasingly and I believe that’s the place your deep-rooted confidence in you as a competitor and also you as a participant and what you are able to do on the market, how one can downside clear up, actually comes from.
“The extra she may be right here, I believe the extra resilient a participant it’s going to make her and finally I believe will probably be what makes her a very, actually nice tennis participant.”
When Raducanu performs once more?
Though Raducanu will not be competing on the Paris Olympics which can be slated to begin on July twenty sixth, she will probably be again in motion later this month as she is scheduled to kick off her North American onerous courtroom swing in Washington.
When the 21-year-old Briton returns to Washington – which is scheduled to kick off on July thirty first – she will probably be enjoying there for the second time in her profession.
Two years in the past, Raducanu had a strong Washington debut as she made it previous her opening two matches earlier than falling quick to Liudmila Samsonova in two units.
After an awesome grass season, Raducanu will enter the summer time on onerous courts swing feeling assured and there’s no doubt that she will probably be hoping proceed her advantageous kind in Washington.