Raducanu

[Tackler49]

Just read that Raducanu said that she needs to raise her level to compete with the best surely she should have realised 3yrs ago, be amazed if she ever manages to do that.

[TheFamilyCat]

What do you call a girl in the middle of a tennis court?

Annette.

[Commy]

Everything happened to soon for her when she won the US Open. She wasn't ready to handle everything that was thrown at her and the expectation. She stopped enjoying playing and has had to work things out mentally. She also had a few injuries and operations which knocked her back for a while. She seems to be happy again now and is enjoying playing tennis again.

[fidelcastro]

Everything happened to soon for her when she won the US Open. She wasn't ready to handle everything that was thrown at her and the expectation. She stopped enjoying playing and has had to work things out mentally. She also had a few injuries and operations which knocked her back for a while. She seems to be happy again now and is enjoying playing tennis again.

She's fit though!

[daveisaclaret]

She's fit though!

Creep

[fidelcastro]

Creep

Just stating facts!

[gtclaret]

Sacking one coach after another doesn't help,just ask that lot down at Watford

[ollieclarets8]

Everything happened to soon for her when she won the US Open. She wasn't ready to handle everything that was thrown at her and the expectation. She stopped enjoying playing and has had to work things out mentally. She also had a few injuries and operations which knocked her back for a while. She seems to be happy again now and is enjoying playing tennis again.

I don't follow tennis (watch bits of Wimbledon) but whenever I see her mentioned in the papers it's injury or defeat related. It's like she's already had her peak.

[DanH90]

Won a US Open very young, and without having to beat a top 10 opponent along the way. An amazing achievement, and she will always have that as long as she lives, but she hadn’t really developed herself on the Tour at that point.

After that she had pressure and hype around her, and injury problems have set her development back. Having said that, I do get the impression she changes coach too often and I hear rumours of quite a pushy father, who perhaps gets too involved in his daughters career!

I still think she will go on to have a great career in the game, but do I think she be a multi grand slam winner and consistent top 10 player, I doubt it.

Her talent and looks will lead to her becoming a very wealthy young lady through sponsorship deals, so I’m sure she’s pretty happy!

[Mondsley]

No doubt in my mind, she won the US open in pretty unique circumstances. But it was a fantastic achievement nevertheless. She is still only 22, and if she can stay injury free, I can only see her getting better. In my opinion she is by far the best female British tennis player for many years. Mention of her wealth is interesting. I've always thought that tennis is a sport where you can make decent money without being in the top echelons of the game. One of Emma's opponents recently is a Spanish/Moldovan called Busca. In 10 years as a pro, she has never been higher than 56 in the world. But her career earnings top $3,000,000. Nice work if you can get it!!

[mikeS]

Can she play centre-back?

[dsr]

Won a US Open very young, and without having to beat a top 10 opponent along the way. An amazing achievement, and she will always have that as long as she lives, but she hadn’t really developed herself on the Tour at that point.

After that she had pressure and hype around her, and injury problems have set her development back. Having said that, I do get the impression she changes coach too often and I hear rumours of quite a pushy father, who perhaps gets too involved in his daughters career!

I still think she will go on to have a great career in the game, but do I think she be a multi grand slam winner and consistent top 10 player, I doubt it.

Her talent and looks will lead to her becoming a very wealthy young lady through sponsorship deals, so I’m sure she’s pretty happy!

In the US Open, she did beat the players who beat the numbers 1,2,3,4, and 5 seeds. So she wasn't beating rabbits.

Funnily enough her opponent Leila Fernandez hasnt really gone on to great things either.

I think a lot of Raducanu's problem is pressure. In the US Open there were few expectations even from the first qualifying round. (Wasn't she seeded about 31 in the qualifying? Reaching the 1st round proper counted as success. After that, she just kept hitting the ball and winning points. Nothing complicated, just keep hitting it hard and into the corners. She never gave much impression that she expected to win the next match.

[Elizabeth]

It would not surprise me to hear she has retired in the next 12 months.
I didn't like her taking on so many commercial engagements immediately she won the US Open in 2021 which made me question her commitment to the sport.
She has always been fully commited though to her image and while I do think she is making one last effort to take the sport serious I think the damage has been done.
Only two weeks ago her ' coach' Mark Petchey said in all seriousness that people should forget 2021 because the tennis balls are now 4 times heavier for Raducanu.

[karatekid]

Why does the BBC sports site give so much space to her? Like Cheney Hawkes she is a one hit wonder.

[Goliath]

She's a marketers dream. We've seen it before with Kournikova and Bouchard to name a few. Thrust into the limelight until the tennis become almost like a secondary career.

I'm pretty sceptical about that Alcaraz doubles line up as well. That's blatantly a marketing ploy. Why on earth is he playing mixed doubles at a grand slam.

[Tricky Trevor]

Sacking her coach immediately after he took her to the US title was a ridiculous decision. Along with football clubs that sack coaches/managers while in good positions I have no sympathy for her or them.

[Darnhill Claret]

Kournikova was a top doubles player, even ranked number 1 in the world at one time. Won 16 doubles titles.
Injury ended her career.

[Enola Gay]

Why does the BBC sports site give so much space to her? Like Cheney Hawkes she is a one hit wonder.

This might - and I realise in advance this is a bold statement - be the most cretinously feckin’ stupid thing I’ve ever read in this board or its predecessor.

Beating the rest of the world’s elite in a major sporting tournament or getting people to buy your single? Yeah, totally comparable.

Arsehole.

[IanMcL]

I watched today. She plays well within herself. As tjough she just wants to put on a bit of a show but not go too far in a tournament.

Off court, she has contracts which bring in Mega Millions, each year. It is as though the tennis is an obligation, so that the contract conditions are met.

[Goalkeeper]

This might - and I realise in advance this is a bold statement - be the most cretinously feckin’ stupid thing I’ve ever read in this board or its predecessor.

Beating the rest of the world’s elite in a major sporting tournament or getting people to buy your single? Yeah, totally comparable.

Arsehole.

To be fair mate, I think you have just surpassed it.

[claretburns]

I'm pretty sceptical about that Alcaraz doubles line up as well. That's blatantly a marketing ploy. Why on earth is he playing mixed doubles at a grand slam.

To be fair a lot of the top players have put their name forward for the mixed doubles. They're doing it differently this year at the US Open in that the mixed doubles tournament will begin 2 weeks prior to the Singles getting underway, almost like a warm up tournament and as such they have had to much interest compared to spots available, so some doubles will need to drop out.

Also the partnership with Alcarez isn't a definite declaration they will take part, it was just they had to declare their interest prior to the deadline, many will change their minds beforehand.

[Papabendi]

she's become a marketing vehicle and that's pretty much it. It's now a question of how long she can spin that out if her current form continues.

[dsr]

she's become a marketing vehicle and that's pretty much it. It's now a question of how long she can spin that out if her current form continues.

She's world number 38 and Britain's number 1. If you're so contemptuous of that sort of form, what must you think of Katie Boulter?

[Papabendi]

Katie Boulter looks to be at a similar level yet receives far less attention. Neither look capable of getting very far in major tournaments. Wasn’t Radacanu recently beaten by a rookie no one has heard of? It might just be time to accept the tournament she did win was a one off. It happens.

[willsclarets]

If you look at the BBC website and do a search for both Emma Radacanu and Katie Boulter, the amount of content and coverage is almost identical. Just last month she did a feature interview and video.

Ironically those criticising the BBC probably just have themselves a bias towards noticing Radacanu coverage. Would a thread be started on Katie Boulters form? Probably not. Would the same people reply? Probably not.

[Papabendi]

If you look at the BBC website and do a search for both Emma Radacanu and Katie Boulter, the amount of content and coverage is almost identical. Just last month she did a feature interview and video.

Ironically those criticising the BBC probably just have themselves a bias towards noticing Radacanu coverage. Would a thread be started on Katie Boulters form? Probably not. Would the same people reply? Probably not.

I haven't done a comparison. But the BBC isn't the whole 'media' these days, is it?

[willsclarets]

I haven't done a comparison. But the BBC isn't the whole 'media' these days, is it?

Sorry that wasn't in reference to your post, someone mentioned the BBC specifically above.

[TheFamilyCat]

I know that the close season sees some topics get a bit more engagement than they normally would but Raducanu v Boulter's column inches isn't one I was expecting.

[karatekid]

This might - and I realise in advance this is a bold statement - be the most cretinously feckin’ stupid thing I’ve ever read in this board or its predecessor.

Beating the rest of the world’s elite in a major sporting tournament or getting people to buy your single? Yeah, totally comparable.

Arsehole.

Do you have a poster of her above your bed?

[aggi]

Was there today and watched her and Sabalenka. Radacanu just doesn't seem to have the power of the best players.

Her serves are 10-15mph slower but she also doesn't have the same venom in her shots. She can pick a good shot but just doesn't have the power of the best players.

She beat Xu fairly comfortably but even though she was 17 she was still the more powerful player.

She's a player who would have done well in the 90s but not with the current crop of players

[yTib]

the british press are literally obsessed with her.

she is a middling tennis play who looks like a cartoon chipmunk and has bowed legs.

[dsr]

the british press are literally obsessed with her.

she is a middling tennis play who looks like a cartoon chipmunk and has bowed legs.

What an obnoxious thing to say. Are you really that sort of person?

[Pearcey]

Some standard British hatred for a British major champion. A title that can never be taken away. She deserves respect. Hope she can get back to that level.

[Caballo]

In a world of 8 billion, she's one of sixty eight people to acheive what she has. I can only strive for such mediocrity.

[Selby Claret]

In a world of 8 billion, she's one of sixty eight people to acheive what she has. I can only strive for such mediocrity.

Maybe you should have concentrated more at your selective grammar school paid for by your finance sector parents and not been distracted by the skiing and horse-riding

[Guppyspotter]

To me, just the epitome of the way sport has gone. It's all about the money. Media fawning all over her because of her looks not because she has been really successful. Did someone mention Chesney?

[ŽižkovClaret]

I think she has suffered from early success. The Brits like a struggle. In their mind, to quote a certain bequiffed morose bellend, "She just hasn't earned it yet, baby"

[forzagranata]

The idea that just because she has signed these sponsorship and endorsement deals that she isn't 'focused' on her game is nonsense. Its a media narrative that taps into people's jealousies but its not backed up by much evidence.

[dsr]

To me, just the epitome of the way sport has gone. It's all about the money. Media fawning all over her because of her looks not because she has been really successful. Did someone mention Chesney?

There are only 8 living Britons who have won any Grand Slam tennis tournament, and by the end of Wimbledon 5 of them will be over 80 years old. "Really successful" has a very high bar, obviously.

(PS - that can be today's quiz. I'll give you Emma Raducanu as a starter.)

[yTib]

well at least katie boulter got on one of the front pages today.

[Goliath]

The idea that just because she has signed these sponsorship and endorsement deals that she isn't 'focused' on her game is nonsense. Its a media narrative that taps into people's jealousies but its not backed up by much evidence.

The evidence is her lack of results in relation to her potential since the US open win.

That along with her huge marketing income, constant fall outs with coaches and last season at least a lack of matches which came across as an arrogance in the sense of it being bad for her brand to be playing in qualifiers etc.

And I'm a fan of hers.

[ollieclarets8]

(PS - that can be today's quiz. I'll give you Emma Raducanu as a starter.)

I thought I had 4 of them (including Raducanu) but you say 5 will be over 80? I had Heather Watson and the Murray brothers making up 4 of those 8.

[Selby Claret]

I thought I had 4 of them (including Raducanu) but you say 5 will be over 80? I had Heather Watson and the Murray brothers making up 4 of those 8.

Sue Barker's not over 80 either

[ollieclarets8]

Sue Barker's not over 80 either

Apart from all that it was a good quiz

[dsr]

I thought I had 4 of them (including Raducanu) but you say 5 will be over 80? I had Heather Watson and the Murray brothers making up 4 of those 8.

Singles, sorry. If it was doubles there would be another Murray, John Lloyd, numerous others. Sue Barker, Andy Murray, Emma Raducanu are the three under-80's.

[Selby Claret]

Presumably it was Grand Slam singles:
A Murray
S Barker
E Raducanu
+ 5 over 80

There are at least a dozen (if not more) British doubles winners

EDIT: Beat me to it DSR thanks for clarification

[claretonthecoast1882]

Virginia Wade

[dsr]

Virginia Wade

Yes, she's the one who turns 80 next week. (Thursday 10th.)

[sjb]

Ann Jones
Christine Truman
Angela Mortimer