World No. 5 Maria Sakkari says U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu “doesn’t have enough credit,” as the injured Briton celebrates her first 12 months on the WTA circuit this week.
- Maria Sakkari says she doesn’t think Emma Raducanu has “enough credit”
- British No. 1 Raducanu is set to complete his first year on the WTA Tour this week
- The U.S. Open champion withdrew from the Nottingham Open after another injury
- Bromley-born Raducanu is unsure if she will compete at Wimbledon as a result
By Dominic Hogan for Mailonline
Posted: 10:53, 8 June 2022 | Updated: 11:15, June 8, 2022
World No. 5 Maria Sakkari has revealed that she does not believe that 19-year-old Emma Raducanu has the credit she deserves.
U.S. Open champion Raducanu is set to complete only her first year on the WTA Tour, despite winning a major at just 18 in September.
Sakkari’s comments came ahead of his first-round match at the Nottingham Open, after Raducanu retired injured in his first match as the players prepared for the turf season.
Maria Sakkari was defeated by Emma Raducanu in the quarterfinals of last year’s U.S. Open
Sakkari, 26, said: “I don’t really know her very well, but people don’t give her enough credit. She’s played well.
‘It’s not easy, if she excludes the US Open, she’s 19 years old. It takes time. The level in the WTA is very, very high, so it will take time for her and all the young players to get used to the level.
“He did a three-week tournament in New York and I think now what he’s doing is right.
Raducanu, 19, struggled with injuries after becoming the first to win a Grand Slam
Raducanu has been the subject of criticism at times since joining the Tour, as he has struggled with his fitness, and the Nottingham Open is the last tournament he has had to retire due to injury.
It has also been difficult for him to compete with the most experienced professionals, and his lack of consistency has led many to question whether he can replicate his heroism at the US Open.
The British No. 1 was announced on the scene last summer reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon impressively, before retiring due to illness.
But the culmination of her fledgling career came just a few months later, when she surprised the world of sports and became the first to win a major tournament.
Sakkari found his first year WTA Tour tough
However, it has been difficult for him to compete in his freshman year as he navigates the WTA Tour for the first time in his career.
The physical demands of such a congested schedule have definitely taken its toll on the 19-year-old as her body learns to cope with the stress of touring and has suffered numerous injuries over the past 12 months.
His latest injury – he suffered half an hour after his first match at the Nottingham Open yesterday against Swiss Viktorija Golubic – has left questions about whether he will be able to play in front of the local crowd at Wimbledon for the first time since his dramatic victory. and Flushing Meadows.
In addition, Raducanu is put in the spotlight at such a young age, that is, in addition to the question of negotiating his first year in the Tour, he also has to face the pressures of becoming in an overnight phenomenon.
However, Sakkari revealed that his rival in the WTA is not the only one struggling to get used to the demands of the Tour all year round.
Sakkari added: “It took me a long time because my progress was later than other players. Everyone has different moments to break.
“It took me two or three years to get used to the Tour; it’s always been a long time.”