“That willingness just didn’t seem evident”: Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup captain criticises Emma Raducanu for giving excuse after defeat in Madrid Open opener
ATPThursday, 25 April 2024 at 12:10
Billie Jean King Cup Britain’s captain Anne Keothavong has
criticised young tennis star Emma Raducanu for her interesting excuse after a poor
performance in the Madrid Open.
The 21-year-old suffered a rather humiliating exit from the
ongoing WTA 1000 event in the Spanish capital as she lost to Argentina’s Maria Lourdes
Carle in the round of 128 in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 6-2.
After the match, the former world number 10 stated that one
of the primary reasons why she was not able to perform the way she would’ve
wanted was because she was ‘mentally and physically’ exhausted.
Keothavong, who captained Raducanu during the recent phase
of the Billie Jean King Cup, was recently quoted in a report where she criticised
the 2021 US Open champion for giving such an excuse after a disappointing performance.
She touched on the fact, ‘Yes, I’m tired’,” said the 40-year-old.
“She acknowledged that in her interview yesterday (Tuesday), but now when I
look back, do you talk yourself into more tiredness?
“On one hand, it’s good to acknowledge it but on the other
hand, if you’re going to go out there on the match court, you’ve got to be
prepared to leave it all out there. That willingness just didn’t seem evident.
Emma Raducanu lost to Argentina's Maria Carle in the round of 128 of the Madrid Open.
“Should she have taken the wild card this week? When the
wild card is there, it’s a big event and for most players you are going to say,
‘Thank you very much, that’s a great opportunity.’ It’s a WTA 1000 and
potentially big points on the board that will move her ranking from where it is
at the moment [No 221].
“But when you see a player perform like that, you kind of
question, ‘OK, maybe physically I wasn’t ready for it, mentally I wasn’t
engaged and actually I probably could have done with the week off.’ Maybe in
hindsight it would have been better to take this week off and go to play
qualifying in Rome [the Italian Open starts next week].”
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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