WTA star warns ‘unprepared’ Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz against dangers of social media
Paula Badosa fears Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz are “not yet prepared” for swathes of online abuse and has urged the teenage sensations to “not pay too much attention” but recognises social media hate is the “price to pay for success.”
Expectations placed upon both 19-year-old US Open champion Raducanu and 18-year-old Next Gen Finals winner Alcaraz have increased exponentially after the pair enjoyed extremely successful breakthrough seasons last year.
Raducanu set the women’s circuit alight when she reached the fourth round of her home Grand Slam Wimbledon as a qualifier before then going on to become the first ever qualifier to win a Grand Slam title at the US Open.
These results ultimately saw Raducanu break into the WTA’s top 20 and she is currently ranked 13th in the world.
Similarly, Alcaraz has also broken into the ATP top 20 and has risen almost 400 places within the past two years.
However, in an age of extreme technological advancements and reliance, social media can be a dangerous and hurtful place for sportspeople young and old.
As a result, defending Indian Wells Masters victor and World number four Paula Badosa recognised social media can be used for good but has warned younger players like Raducanu and Alcaraz against reading hurtful social media criticism.
To further illustrate her concerns, a study recently found that Raducanu was the fourth most abused player on both the WTA and ATP Tours last year.
Speaking to Eurosport, Badosa said “social media has been great for driving those conversations [about mental health],but it can sometimes be dangerous too with the scrutiny it brings.
“When I think of young players like Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz, I want them to try and not pay too much attention to what they may see on there because it could hurt them a lot.
“No matter how well they perform on the tennis court, I worry that they are not yet prepared to carry all of the weight and pressures that inevitably come with social media,” the Spaniard fears.
“I have suffered from it myself and wouldn’t want others to experience it, but ultimately it’s part of tennis and it is the price to pay for success.
“I have a good relationship with Carlos and we talk constantly, so if I were to give any advice to him, it is that you need to have a good environment, surround yourself with the right people, work hard and listen to the outside as little as possible.
“You cannot control the outside, but what is in your control, just try to do your best.”
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