Emma Raducanu’s disappointing run at the Madrid Open has drawn criticism from Billie Jean Cup captain Anne Keothavong, who accused the British tennis star of ’emotionally checking out’ during the tournament. Raducanu’s first-round loss to qualifier Maria Lourdes Carle was her worst performance of the clay-court season, with the 19-year-old making 34 unforced errors. The defeat ended a promising run of form for Raducanu, who had won two matches at the Billie Jean Cup and two more at the Stuttgart Open.
After the match, Raducanu attributed her lackluster display to tiredness, having played in various tournaments over the last few weeks. However, Keothavong suggested that Raducanu should not have played in Madrid if she knew she was not going to be at her best.
“She’s made a meal of this match,” said Keothavong on Sky Sports. “She touched on the fact that ‘yes, I’m tired’ but do you talk yourself into more tiredness? On the one hand it’s good to acknowledge it but if you are going to go out on the match court you’ve got to be prepared to leave it all out there.
“That willingness just didn’t seem evident. Should she have taken the wildcard? Maybe in hindsight it would have been better to take this week off and go to play qualifying in Rome. Those last few points, that’s just not good enough. That’s poor. You can’t emotionally check out.”
Raducanu is set to return to London before deciding her next move as she continues to prepare for the upcoming French Open. She is not guaranteed a place at Roland Garros but is the fifth alternate, meaning she will have a decent chance of being in the main draw if enough players pull out.
