‘She’s already a great player’ John McEnroe backs Emma Raducanu and slams British media for their treatment of teenager, recalling personal experience at Wimbledon

world number 10 Emma Raducanu has moved up the rankings despite poor results. All that will change for the Brit now that the majority of her points have come from her scintillating win at the 2021 US Open and with the Grand Slam starting in 6 weeks, the Brit has a tough task ahead of her to defend her placement. While her win in New York was widely celebrated in the UK, her results have brought her quite a bit of criticism throughout the season.

With Emma playing in her first full season and only 19, it would be unwise to rule out the potential of the teenager who has shown great talent in the games she has played. Early injuries and a lack of consistency with her coaching staff have landed Emma in some trouble, but like many tennis fans, even the former world No. 1 John McEnroe believes it’s only a matter of time before the Brit starts winning games again.

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John McEnroe is excited to meet Emma Raducanu

McEnroe recently spoke about Emma’s situation and why she needs support more than anything right now. The American also spoke about the media, particularly the British media, comparing his own experiences to criticism during his playing days and hinting that Raducanu is facing worse things than he is.

“Don’t ask if Raducanu becomes a good player because she is already a great player. No one wins a major unless they’re a great player and hopefully she has faith, but a lot has changed for her since then. I’m not near her. As a matter of fact. In fact, I never spoke to her. I hope to have the opportunity soon because it’s obviously a breath of fresh air. She is a very sweet girl, a beautiful girl and plays great tennis. What’s not to like. It was hard watching her fight but I don’t know if she needs time.

“She needs the right stability and people around her and I don’t know what’s going on there. You don’t go through a tournament not losing a set and beating some of the best players without being a great player. I achieved that to a fairly significant extent in the late 1970’s and early 80’s, and it got to a stage where I thought I’d ever win Wimbledon I’m never coming back, to hell with these people.

“When I won the first time, it kind of felt like I could get kicked out of the stadium because the high was so great and I thought maybe I’d like to come back. It can be worse for her (Raducanu) because she lives through it day by day. But I draw for her. We are all. Maybe she can use that to her advantage somehow.” said McEnroe in his last interview with Tennis365.

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