Emma Raducanu Has a Revealing Response to the Scrutiny of Andy Murray Drama and Programming

Emma Raducanu has said it was “very easy” for people in her country to throw stones at her after she pulled out of the mixed doubles with Andy Murray, but also stressed that it did not mean she felt good about the decision she had to make.

After Murray withdrew from the Wimbledon singles because he didn’t feel fully ready for the competition after back surgery, his plan was to play doubles with Jamie Murray. And on the third day of Wimbledon, it was also announced that Murray had invited Raducanu to play mixed doubles with him and she had accepted.

But on Saturday, when Raducanu and Murray first faced each other, the 21-year-old Briton withdrew with wrist pain. With Murray having already lost in the men’s doubles, Raducanu’s withdrawal also meant the end of the 37-year-old’s final Wimbledon tournament.

Raducanu faced harsh criticism and scrutiny, with some using very strong words such as unfair, disrespectful, etc. Although Murray did not comment at the time, it gained a lot of attention when her mother Judy wrote “Yes, amazing”, referring to Raducanu’s decision.

“It’s very easy for the nation and the press to be very hard on me and I think I can be very hard on myself because I’m a perfectionist. It’s extremely difficult when something doesn’t go as planned. Certainly some losses hurt more than others,” Raducanu told ELLE UK.

But for Raducanu, this was nothing new, as she is used to being the target of harsh criticism.

“I’ve become desensitized to people’s opinions and what could potentially happen, so when things happen, I can never say I’m surprised,” Raducanu noted.

Raducanu responds to criticism of her schedule

Raducanu’s scheduling decisions have been called into question several times in recent months. The first time was in the spring, when the 21-year-old skipped Rome and the French Open to focus on the grass-court season. Then, the British tennis star also came under heavy criticism after refusing to play at the Paris Olympics because of the clay court surface.

This month, Raducanu began her summer on hard courts in Washington, but did not play in Toronto and Cincinnati. That sparked renewed criticism, with many feeling she was not preparing as well as possible and putting herself in a good position to do well at the US Open.

But in Raducanu’s mind, she makes no mistake about it and stresses that she will never be someone who has a busy schedule.

“Even when I won the US Open, I only played a few tournaments that year. Yes, they were closer together, but I’m not in a hurry to play them. I think I prefer to aim for the tournaments and play the ones I’m registered for. I don’t think I’ll ever be the player who plays almost 30 events a year. I think that’s not my style. It never was,” Raducanu said.

Raducanu also briefly reflected on her historic US Open victory three years ago, when she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam.

“I think it’s an incredible feat and these two weeks have allowed me to accomplish it. So coming back here now, I come back with a different perspective and just joy and promise, and it inspires me to want to do more,” Raducanu said.

Raducanu on meeting a child whose greatest wish was to meet her

On Thursday night, Raducanu began attracting negative attention after a post on X claimed she had rushed off the practice court without giving interviews or signing autographs. It was also said that there was a little girl who was desperate to meet Raducanu for a selfie and an autograph — and that the 2021 US Open champion had been informed about it.

A little kid who was being interviewed said in a very cute voice: “My favorite player is Emma Raducanu” and the interviewer on the court at least tried to get her to take a picture with this little kid and she refused. https://t.co/lMD1ODKMd2

— Kat (@idontmindk) August 22, 2024

Raducanu then addressed the issue on X, explaining herself and asking people if anyone could help her find the fan. On Friday, it happened and not only did Raducanu and a little girl named Remy meet, but they also hit a few balls together.

“She barely missed a ball and she had a lot of courage to go out there with a lot of people watching and start hitting balls, and it was nice to meet her and talk to her. Obviously I felt incredibly bad yesterday, but I feel good and I’m happy I was able to connect with her today,” Raducanu said.