Emma Raducanu has been warned that her tennis rivals are 'jealous' of her fame after her US Open exit.
The 21-year-old crashed out of the US Open after the first round in a shock defeat to Sofia Kenin on Tuesday night.
Eyebrows were raised when she did not take part in tour events in Toronto and Cincinnati ahead of the tournament in New York, with tennis legend Tim Henman even changing his tune.
Alongside her various multi-million sponsorship deals and huge social media following, Raducanu has been warned she is making a target for her own back.
Emma Raducanu crashed out of the US Open at the first round
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“We have seen this before whether it was Anna Kournikova or Eugenie Bouchard,” a WTA insider told the Telegraph.
“Anna felt behind closed doors that the other girls raised their level and wanted to beat her so badly because they were jealous of what she had – fame and wealth.
“You shouldn’t underestimate how that jealousy can manifest itself into added incentive to beat someone.
"It’s not as if Kenin has been lighting up the tour recently but she saw her opportunity on Tuesday and grabbed it.”
Raducanu looked particularly crestfallen after her first-round defeat on Tuesday, continuing her shocking record of never winning a match at Flushing Meadows since her incredible 2021 victory that catapulted her to fame.
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She broke into tears, saying: “I feel down, I feel sad. This is a tournament I really want to do well in.”
When she was asked if her inspired her opponents to up their game against her, Raducanu replied: “I guess I have to take it as a compliment.
“I think I’ve had it a few times now when opponents have played really well against me. Yeah, it’s for a reason, I guess.”
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Did Sofia Kenin raise her game because she was facing Emma Raducanu?
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In 2022, after Raducanu beat Sloane Stephens in the first round of the Australian Open, the American admitted that there were others waiting for her downfall.
“Because she is so young it’s definitely a long road, so there’s going to be a lot of ups and downs,” Stephens said at the time.
"I think she has just a lot to learn.
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Emma Raducanu has been told that jealousy might be fuelling her rivals
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“I was talking to someone in the locker-room and I’m like, ‘We’ll be here when she comes down.’”
Raducanu, though, has remained resilient and has never backed down from a challenge - and this latest setback is no different.
“I'm just going to go back to the drawing board and train and analyse where I went wrong and try and improve for the rest of the season," she said after wiping away her tears on Tuesday night.
"Obviously the Slams are over for this year, but it's not actually that long until Australia comes around again (in January)."
