Madrid Open 2023: Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from her opening round match at the Madrid Open 2023. This comes shortly before she was to take the court to play Viktoriya Tomova. The 20-year-old British player said the reason behind her withdrawal was an injury to her right hand. Follow Madrid Open 2023 LIVE updates on InsideSport.IN
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Raducanu’s cold press conference after her Stuttgart Open exit
Last year I named Miss Emma Raducanu, a “summer swallow” after she won US Open.
She became the fixation of many so-called tennis experts and sponsors, who dare to named her Serena Williams’ successor.
Now raked #85, she has become “difficult” with the press… Go figure🙄 pic.twitter.com/9ujidQpA3o— Camilo Pombo-Saenz (@sebastian9949) April 26, 2023
After her disappointing loss to Ostapenko, Raducanu was in no mood to answer the post match press conference questions from journalists. Emma has enjoyed a love-hate sort of relationship with the press, on one hand she has been hailed as the next big thing since her win at the US Open but the press has been equally critical for her performances on and off the court.
Raducanu has been criticized for her things like her multiple sponsors deals, changing coaches and poor fitness among other things. Emma who was upset with her performance, answered 16 questions answered by the journalists by uttering two or three word answers and therefore has been hailed by some members of the press as “difficult”.
Struggles after the dream run
This withdrawal may come as a shock to some but Raducanu’s form has been abysmal off late. Raducanu was coming to Madrid Open off two consecutive first round losses in Miami Open 2023 to Bianca Andreescu and Stuttgart Open 2023 to former French Open Champion Jelena Ostapenko in just 59 minutes.
Raducanu who has struggled for form and injuries ever since her fairy-tale run at Flushing Meadows in 2021, where the then 18-year-old qualifier went on to pick up the US Open title. Her struggles off late and this withdraw means that she will be out of the top 100 in WTA ranking for the first time since her breakthrough.