Emma Raducanu, the British tennis star that shocked the world with the US Open 2021 championship, recently shared frankly about loneliness and mental pressure when playing on the WTA system.
In a press conference before the second round at Washington Open, where she would face Naomi Osaka, Raducanu revealed that she almost did not have many friends on the tour and maintaining relationships in the professional competition is “very difficult”.
“I have a few friends on the field, but playing with them creates a completely different aspect. I have very close friends at home, who can trust and share, but on the field, I find it very difficult to open my heart to the opponents that I can confront at any time,” Raducanu said.
Although she has won Grand Slam, Raducanu said she felt that she had never been really “set up” as a true professional player. “When I won the US Open, I was still a girl who had just left school, ranked 200 in the world.
Raducanu also faced mental crises like crisis when playing, as well as an obsessive experience when being approached by a monitor in Dubai. She admitted that she was a type of person who was hard to connect with colleagues, and that made the journey on the field more alone.
However, the biggest comfort with Raducanu came from close friends outside the tennis village, the girls who have been with childhood. At Wimbledon this year, this group of close friends appeared in the stands, creating a special emotion for Raducanu. “When I looked at the VIP area and saw them there, I felt more motivated. Some people I knew at the age of 6, others from the age of 14. They were an irreplaceable mental support.”
It is noteworthy that Benjamin Heynold, a friend from an early age and was rumored to be Raducanu's boyfriend, also often appeared with her, from historic victory in New York in 2021 to the recent journey in Queen's. Heynold's mother even sat in the Raducanu support group at the Center Court in Wimbledon.
Although not many of the tennis people, Raducanu still retains close relationships with old friends like Tessa (a doctor in London), Carla Wilfert (who has a boyfriend who is a rugby star Michael Churich), and close friend Shauna living in Dubai. She is also close to Chelsea's personal bodybuilding coach Annalls and Ryan Cohen, a product manager living in Boston.
Raducanu will continue the journey at Washington Open in the hope of confirming its position after many years of falling. Although the road ahead has many challenges, but perhaps the most important thing is that she is no longer as lonely as before.