World No. 7
Paula Badosa acknowledged that there are benefits of social media but also added it can be a tough place - especially for rising stars such as
Emma Raducanu and
Carlos Alcaraz.
Players are often targets of criticism and insults after bad performances
and losses and Badosa admits those negative comments can hurt a player. She has had her fair share of mental health issues in the past and she's not been able to take her tennis to the next level until she did not deal with them. In Badosa's mind, young players are especially susceptible.
Raducanu and Alcaraz - who Badosa specifically mentioned - draw lots
of attention since they are one of the most talented and promising
players in the world. Badosa advised Raducanu and Alcaraz to try to
block out any negative comments they receive on the internet:
"Social media has been great for driving those conversations, but it can sometimes be dangerous too with the scrutiny it brings. When I think of young players like Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz, I want them to try and not pay too much attention to what they may see on there because it could hurt them a lot. No matter how well they perform on the tennis court, I worry that they are not yet prepared to carry all of the weight and pressures that inevitably come with social media."
She mentioned herself as an example saying:
"I have suffered from it myself and wouldn’t want others to
experience it, but ultimately it’s part of tennis and it is the price to
pay for success. I have a good relationship with Carlos and we talk
constantly, so if I were to give any advice to him, it is that you need
to have a good environment, surround yourself with the right people,
work hard and listen to the outside as little as possible. You
cannot control the outside, but what is in your control, just try to do
your best."