Raducanu and her particular hell: "I feel depressed"

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Just three years ago, Emma Raducanu surprised the world with one of those performances that make the headlines. Starting from the qualifying rounds and against all odds, the Brit won nine consecutive matches without dropping a set to lift the trophy at the US Open. Three years later, her demeanor is completely different. Since that victory against Leylah in 2021, Emma hasn't won a match again in Flushing Meadows.

“I feel depressed. I feel... sad,” reflects the Brit as she wipes away tears in a press conference after exiting the tournament early, the same event that propelled her to stardom three years ago. “This is a tournament where I really want to perform well. I'll go back to the drawing board to train and analyze where I have gone wrong and try to improve for the rest of the season,” she adds.

Raducanu's case is a topic of discussion. It hasn't been very different from other girls who won a Grand Slam in recent years and almost disappeared afterwards. Almost as if it were a divine punishment imposed by destiny on any player who wins a major title, Emma has been affected by handling expectations, pressure, injuries, and the high level of competition on the circuit. There's a fact as striking as it is painful for her – since her US Open win, Raducanu hasn't played in a single final again.

Mentally Burned Out

It couldn't have been easy for an 18-year-old girl to go from being almost unknown to everyone wanting a minute of her time. Overnight, she went from being "just another player" to brands fighting over her. The title in New York placed her on a very dangerous media platform, something that has become evident over time. At that age, Emma could only succumb to her lack of maturity in decision-making, and currently, she is still suffering the consequences of the blows she has endured since then.

“Sometimes, I wish I had never won the US Open,” she confessed in an interview last year. “Everything surrounding this (the circuit) is not a pleasant place or where you feel safe. You always feel on guard, with sharks out there. People in the industry see me as a piggy bank,” she stated. Imagine how Raducanu must feel to express that and all she has had to go through in these last three years.

Contracts come with responsibilities and demands for results to maintain oneself, which becomes a burden that the athlete carries on their shoulders. If you are not well-prepared mentally, it can show up anywhere. Just ask Naomi Osaka, the latest to suffer the effects of media and commercial pressure. Her break due to pregnancy gave her time to escape a bit from it all. The Japanese, who returned this year, admitted that this break was great for her to reconnect with tennis. That's where she is now.

Yesterday, Raducanu was defeated by a Kenin who went through a hell similar to hers. The American still seeks the inspiration that led her to victory at the Australian Open years ago. She fell out of the Top 400 and might understand perfectly well what her colleague is going through. Kenin is trying to pave her own way, completely off the radar. Something that perhaps Emma herself might need.

Only time will tell if Raducanu will surprise us again as she did in the 2021 US Open. She has time for it, being only 21 years old. The truth is that, since then, the impressions she leaves are not at all positive. She wants to perform well again where she shone, but she leaves New York once more without a win. Hers is one more example of how difficult it is in sports to manage great success, especially when it comes at a very young age and is surrounded by brands that see you as a money-making product, leading you away from your true goal: succeeding on the court.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Raducanu y su particular infierno: "Me siento deprimida"