Understanding Emma Raducanu's take on fame and criticism

Britain’s young tennis star Emma Raducanu has revealed that the time to worry is when people stop talking about you. The 21-year-old was once regarded as the next big thing, especially when she lifted the US Open at the age of just 18 in 2021.

The most impressive aspect of Raducanu’s success three years back was the fact that she started the competition through the qualifying stage and even then managed to go all the way and beat Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-3.

Raducanu has recently been quoted in a report where she stated that criticism comes with success. She also stated that in her opinion, the real time to concern for the player is when people stop talking about them. "I think it [criticism] just comes down to success,” she said. “I think when they're not talking about you, that's when you need to start to worry.”

Raducanu received a lot of criticism after failing to replicate success after that triumph in New York a few years back. Since then, the Toronto-born star has struggled with fitness and form. She was out of action for nearly 12 months and returned to the court earlier this season.

Her most impressive performance in 2024 came during the Billie Jean King Cup where she helped Great Britain to cement a place in the final round after beating the French side. The former world number 10 is currently taking part in Wimbledon where she had a fabulous start.

Raducanu outclassed Mexico’s Renata Zarazua in the first round of the mega-event on Monday as she emerged victorious in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 6-3. Her next round’s opponent will be Belgium’s Elise Mertens who booked her spot in the second round after beating Japan’s Nao Hibino in the round of 128 with a score of 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.