Emma Raducanu ‘expected to do something special,’ says former World number five
Fernando Gonzalez feels that “everyone is watching” Emma Raducanu in the hopes that she “does something special” and feels that the expectations placed upon her have increased dramatically.
Raducanu won the US Open as a qualifier aged just 18 years old and Australian Open finalist Fernando Gonzalez believes that she faces a challenge to manage the increased expectations and needs a “few months to adjust.”
The 19-year-old British sensation Raducanu ended the year ranked 19th in the WTA world rankings, becoming just the fifth British woman to do so. Virginia Wade, Sue Barker, Johanna Konta and Jo Durie were the other four players to achieve the feat.
Chilean Olympic silver medallist Gonzalez told Tennis365 that he thinks Raducanu will face a huge challenge to adapt to the expectations people will place upon her on the tour.
“Everyone will be looking at her. She will need a few months to adapt to everything now.
“To be the US Open champion is a lot for her to take in when you consider she was ranked at 150 (in the WTA rankings) before that event started and now she is the player everyone talks about.
“I saw some moments of Raducanu’s first qualifying round at the US Open and there are like five people watching.
“Then two and a half weeks later, she is winning the big prize money and she is the champion in front of a full crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium and all around the world [everyone] knows about her. It is an amazing story.”
“We have to give her some time because clearly she is a great player with a great mentality and she will have a big career.
“To reach a Grand Slam final so early in your career and play such a great match against a player from your own generation was tough, but she won.
“Now everyone is looking at her, expecting her to do something special and the other players want to beat her. That can be tough, but she is going to be fine.”
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