Emma Raducanu received support from fans after attending a party in Dubai two days before her debut at the Qatar Open. The 2021 US Open champion suffered a tough defeat in the first round of Doha, being bageled by Anhelina Kalinina (6-0, 7-6), in her lowest-performing match since returning to the WTA Tour.
The British player faced harsh criticism from fans after four tournaments without consecutive victories, with a 3-4 record in 2024.
Recently, Stuart Fraser of The Times wrote an article criticizing Raducanu’s participation in the opening party of a luxury hotel. The event was attended by figures like Naomi Campbell, Jennifer Lopez, and Vanessa Hudgens.
Stuart opined that Raducanu’s attendance at the party was to blame for her performance at the Qatar Open:
“Emma Raducanu reasonably described some of the criticism about her sponsorship duties as ‘unfair’, but questions have to be asked about her preparation for the Qatar Open. Less than 48 hours after attending a hotel launch in Dubai, she was bageled in Doha,” he wrote on X.
However, many tennis fans disagreed with the criticism, considering it unjustified to think that Raducanu shouldn’t participate in such events. Here are some fan comments:
“Is any other player this relentlessly and unfairly scrutinised by the media? Its not like she was hungover and throwing up in today’s match because she was recently at a party. Just had no feel for the conditions. Give her space, let her play,” one fan wrote.
“I get that British press loves to cover British players, but feels like Raducanu could stand to benefit from less coverage. She’s 262 in the world; we don’t have to cover her like she’s #1,” another fan said.
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