Sunday, December 22, 2024

Emma Raducanu: Andy Murray era of British tennis is ‘old news’

Must read

Raducanu referenced the number coming through qualifying – six British men entered last week’s US Open qualifying event, although only Jan Choinski won all three rounds to earn a place in the main draw.

During this summer’s Wimbledon, Raducanu made headlines by agreeing to play mixed doubles with Murray, only to withdraw from the match at the 11th hour citing wrist soreness.

Murray’s mother Judy described the decision as “astonishing” in a social-media post, which she later claimed had been sarcastic rather than directly critical.

Then, a couple of weeks later, Murray told reporters: “Everyone’s emotions are running high at that time of year. My mum’s always going to look out for my best interests.”

He also said that he had not spoken to Raducanu – who is due to open her US Open campaign on Tuesday against former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin – since the controversy broke out.

‘I consider myself an artist’

Returning to the upcoming event, Raducanu has also described herself as “an artist” in another pre-tournament media appearance, which found her alluding to the artificiality of her public persona.

During an interview with Sky Sports at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, Raducanu picked out Pablo Picasso’s Girl Before A Mirror as her favourite work.

“It’s really relatable because the girl who is looking in the mirror is lighter than the reflection,” she said, in what seemed to be a reference to the distinction between Raducanu the person and Raducanu the public figure.

“At times in my life I’ve felt that way. I consider myself an artist, because even playing tennis, we’re entertainers. It’s about our creativity on the court, how we construct the points, how we deal with different situations and setbacks and it is more than just tennis.

“It’s almost like playing the piano when we’re on the court, it’s how we express ourselves.”

Latest article