It didn’t take long to be reminded that Emma Raducanu is in fact human. After her rollercoaster journey to success at the US Open, which defied the tennis betting tips, Raducanu limply bowed out in the first round at Indian Wells, losing 2-6, 4-6 to Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
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The defeat will check those who thought that Raducanu would kick on and dominate women’s tennis. There are too many strong players on the WTA Tour for anyone to burst onto the scene and enjoy instant, sustained success. Even still, most tennis fans were left disappointed that Raducanu couldn’t back up her Flushing Meadows exploits with a strong showing in California.
“I think it’s going to take me time to adjust really to what’s going on,” she said. “I mean, I’m still so new to everything. The experiences that I’m going through right now, even though I might not feel 100% amazing, I know they’re for the greater good. For the bigger picture, I’ll be thanking this moment. That’s the lesson I think, that you can easily get sucked into being so focused on the result and getting disappointed. I mean, I’m 18 years old. I need to cut myself some slack.”
In the maelstrom of her Grand Slam success, it can easily be forgotten just how young and inexperienced Raducanu truly is. Before winning the US Open, she had barely been present on the tour, with a handful of wildcard entries defining her tournament record up until that point. Now, she has been thrust into the spotlight, but Raducanu must be given space to learn the ropes.
It has been a strange time for her, after all. She could never have envisaged winning the US Open at such a young age, and the accompanying acclaim won’t have been easy to come to terms with. There have been a number of things Raducanu has done outside of tennis as a result of her success, and whilst she should make the most of her moment of glory, it’s important to keep perspective that days like that won’t come along too often.
Unsurprisingly, Raducanu did not play with the kind of freedom she exhibited at Flushing Meadows last month. Instead, the weight of her new-found status in the sport seemed to affect her, and in many ways, she looked fatigued. Perhaps the best thing she can do is to take some time away from the spotlight and focus on her game.
The question of her coaching setup remains a talking point. After dispensing with the services of coach Andrew Richardson, who helped her accomplish her Grand Slam triumph, Raducanu is yet to announce a replacement. It’s clear that she wants someone with experience of coaching high-profile players, but the 18-year-old needs to get someone in her corner quickly to ensure she maximises her talent.
This defeat should not cause any alarm bells. It will take time for Raducanu to deliver the kind of consistent results associated with a Grand Slam champion. The talent is clearly there, and her will to win is strong. Those two factors mean she has a long, bright future still ahead of her.
