At just 18-years-old, Emma Raducanu shocked the world in September, winning the US Open in straight sets against Canadian Leylah Fernandez. In doing so, not only did she become the first British woman to win a grand slam title in 44 years, but also became the nations sweetheart almost overnight. However, recent events could cause a spectacular fall from grace for the young star.
Ranked at 150th in the world, Emma Raducanu entered last years Wimbledon Championships under a cloud of self imposed pressure. It was her first visit to her home major and after winning comfortably in the opening rounds, Raducanu decided she could not continue, retiring from the championships midway through her battle with Austrila's Ajla Tomljanovic in the Round of 16.
This prompted the first in a long line of coach divorces that Raducanu has been involved in over the past few months, as she split from the highly experienced Nigel Sears shortly after Wimbledon exit.
She then hired the talents of childhood coach Andrew Richardson, who had previously coached Raducanu from the ages of 11-13. In a success story that looked as if it had come straight from Hollywood itself, Richardson would guide the previously defeated Raducanu to her first major victory in the US alongside an army of sponsorship deals that are estimated to total over £1 billion. In the minds of many, this duo was projected to become the next dominators of the sport and were expected to set a new tone in British tennis for the world to follow.
However, after just 2 weeks and her first glimpses of stardom, Raducanu split with her one and only successful tennis coach and started the search for a more "experienced" mentor. It turns out that Richardson was only on a temporary agreement with Radacanu, which effectively ended when Emma struck her final ace at the US Open. Not only did this put a face of utter bewilderment on British public, but I imagine it probably started putting question marks in the minds of potential sponsors aswell.
Raducanu's search for Richardson's replacement has already come under fire, with the likes of tennis legends John McEnroe and Roger Federer urging the teenager "to be careful" when surrounding herself with the right people. The constant changing of an athletes environment combined with the unique pressure that a young star can possess can ultimately lead to a trainwreck of a career.
The cracks began to show at Raducanu's most recent competition, where she lost in straight sets to world number 100 Aliaksandra Sasnovich. The Brit downplayed her defeat, saying "I mean, I'm 18 years old. I need to cut myself some slack", and is still on the lookout for a new coach that can elevate her game to the next level.
With alarm bells already starting to ring in the minds of potential sponsors and doubt seeping into the minds of the public, how long will it be before those same doubts reach the mind of Raducanu?
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| Photo Credit: wtatennis.com |
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