Emma Raducanu should seek advice from
Maria Sharapova about how to handle fame and expectations, according to former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli.
Having lost in the second round on her second appearance at the All
England Club, Raducanu will begin the build-up to her defence of the US
Open title that rocketed her to stardom. Sharapova
experienced something similar after winning Wimbledon aged 17 but
balanced demands on and off the court very effectively through her
career, going on to win four more Grand Slam titles before retiring two
years ago.
Bartoli said:
"For Emma, because she won so young, obviously with all the contracts and sponsorships she has signed, the pressure she has to face - I mean, I cannot start to imagine it. It is so massive. It takes someone so special to handle it. She probably should maybe get some advice from Maria Sharapova, who has been able to do it. It took Maria a little bit of time before she got the second one (grand slam) but then she went on to five in total."
She further added:
"You have to be kind with yourself. Give yourself a little bit of
time. You just need to get those strong results every time, it might not
be winning, but quarters, semis, maybe a final. Then you will get your
second one. If it is too dramatic in terms of change of results -
like you win, then you lose in the first or second round - it becomes
tricky mentally. You think, 'OK, I am not even close'."