US Open champion Emma Raducanu hit back at England rugby union coach coach Eddie Jones comments, saying she was not going to cancel a single training session for off-court commitments.
Jones recently said that he hopes young rugby talent Marcus Smith away from the ‘distractions’ that he believes have followed Emma Raducanu since her US Open win.
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“The big thing for good young players is distractions,” Jones explained.
“There’s a reason why the young girl who won the US Open hasn’t done so well afterwards.
Stunning Emma pics 📸 from the new Linz Danube River Bridge 🌅@EmmaRaducanu | #wtalinz pic.twitter.com/qutWiTKM2C
— WTA Linz (@WTALinz) November 7, 2021
“What have you seen her on – the front page of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar or whatever it is, wearing Christian Dior clothes. All that is a distraction around her. It might not be to that degree with Marcus, but potentially it could be.”
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Raducanu had created a stir when she became the first qualifier, male or female, to win a major. She defeated fellow teen Leylah Fernandez in the final to clinch the 2021 US Open.
The 18-year-old has since attended the MET Gala, the James Bond premier and been associated with elite brands like Tiffany.
Non-negotiable
The Brit, who is playing at the WTA event in Linz this week, said she would never compromise on her training to raise her off-court profile.
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“I made it very, very clear to every single person in my team that I was not going to cancel one training session or practice session for any off-court commitments,” Raducanu said.
“That was a non-negotiable for me. I wanted to make sure that that is my priority, and it is. So everyone is clear about that.
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“But it’s just managing my time with the commitments around that. Even if it’s not off-court events or whatever, I’m still doing my WTA rookie hours for example.”
‘Give her time’
Former World No 1 Justine Henin said the youngster must be given time and space to bloom.
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“Everything has gone very, very fast here in the span of a few weeks, between Wimbledon and the US Open,” Henin told Eurosport.
“We’ll have to give this player time because she’s going to have a lot to deal with, especially her image. Today, I would like to say, it is potentially one of the greatest dangers for a player’s career.”
