Following her victory at the US Open in 2021, Emma Raducanu opened up about having to deal with “sharks” and individuals who treat her like a “piggy bank.” Three months after completing her A-Levels, Raducanu won in Flushing Meadows as an 18-year-old in just her second grand slam, turning her into an instant celebrity.
With a number of high-end endorsement deals following that triumph, she became one of the most marketable athletes in the world. However, she has had difficulty establishing herself on the women’s WTA Tour due to a number of injury problems. The 20-year-old British player, who underwent wrist and ankle surgery and may be sidelined for the entire season, said after winning the US Open that she was gullible and had been exploited.
“It’s not a safe place”
Raducanu told The Sunday Times Style magazine: “When I won I was extremely naïve. What I have realized in the past two years, the tour and everything that comes with it, it’s not a very nice, trusting and safe space
.“You have to be on guard because there are a lot of sharks out there. I think people in the industry, especially with me because I was 19, now 20, they see me as a piggy bank.”
Emma Raducanu in 2023
Ranked world no.128, Raducanu played her last match on the 18th of April when she capitulated to world no.17 Jelena Ostapenko 6-2 6-1 in the 1st round in Stuttgart (draw).
At the moment, during this season Raducanu achieved a 5-5 match record.