Andy Murray feels ‘very smart’ Emma Raducanu will be able to successfully manage increased expectations

Andy Murray is sure “well-grounded” and “very smart” Emma Raducanu can manage the increased expectations after her US Open win and feels she will be “absolutely fine.”

19-year-old British sensation Raducanu garnered the world’s attention when she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title after she won the US Open.

She did so without dropping a single set and beating some of the world’s best in World number six Maria Sakkari and Swiss Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic.

Following her historic season, Raducanu was named the Women’s Tennis Association’s (WTA) Newcomer of the Year, BT Action Woman of the Year and the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

In an interview with Eurosport at the Abu Dhabi Exhibition, an event Raducanu was forced to miss after contracting Covid-19, three-time Slam champion Andy Murray sung the praises of the his compatriot.

Murray said “I feel like because she won the US Open and won a Grand Slam at 18, that for a period of time I imagine the press would be quite lenient with her.

“There will be certain stages in her career, certainly around Wimbledon and the grass-court season where the expectations are extremely high.

“There’ll be a lot of pressure there. I know that that’s obviously something that’s difficult to deal with. I’m sure she’ll be able to deal with it, but it’s not easy.

“She’s unbelievably well-grounded. She’s very, very smart. I’m sure she’ll be absolutely fine, but it’s not easy.

“I certainly didn’t have it to the degree that she’s had it but when I played Wimbledon the first time I went from nobody knowing me or watching my matches to being on the front page of the newspapers and being followed around for a period of time and it’s like overnight, it’s kind of life-changing.

“And that’s the same thing that’s happened to her but on a much grander scale. So I know that that must be very difficult for her.

“It’s just important that you have your family and your team and everyone around you and that they’re the ones that you listen, and to try your hardest to block the rest.”

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