In only her second-ever match, United Kingdom’s Emma Raducanu was beaten straight sets 6-3 6-3 by French player Caroline Garcia. British fans criticized the 19-year-old’s performance on Centre Court citing Raducanu’s claim that her US Open victory last year should have relieved her of some of the pressure.
“There’s no pressure. Like, why is there any pressure? I’m still 19. Like, it’s a joke. I literally won a [Grand] Slam,” Raducanu said. “Yes, I have had attention. But I’m a [Grand] Slam champion, so no one’s going to take that away from me. Yeah, if anything, the pressure is on those who haven’t done that.”
Raducanu shocked the world when she qualified only at the age of 18 for the US Open and even ended up bringing home the trophy, but many people still doubted she’d ever make it past the second round of a major again or regain her winning ways, as she did in New York last year.
Raducanu’s preparation for Wimbledon has not been optimum, as she has only played seven games and was forced to withdraw due to a side strain suffered in Nottingham just eight minutes into her first match. Raducanu, on the other hand, also denied that the injury hampered her performance against Garcia.
“I didn’t feel anything out there, I declared myself fully fit when I walked out there onto the court on the first day,” she said.
A straight-set loss at Wimbledon that left her on Centre Court, however, does not appear to have shaken her confidence.
“I’ve played seven hours of tennis in a month. To even compete with these girls at this level and win a round I think is a pretty good achievement,” the Bromley native said.
In Raducanu’s defense, she was also surprised that she made it past the first round of Wimbledon this year, saying, “It’s OK because coming into this I didn’t really have many expectations of myself. For me, everything is learning,” said Raducanu.
She added she would continue to “enjoy every single moment” of tennis,
Raducanu, who is scheduled to play in Washington in August, has agreed to return to Wimbledon next year to make amends for her defeat this time.
"I think I've been asked this question in every press conference. I am 19 and yes I have had attention but I'm a slam champion so no one is going to take that away from me. If anything the pressure is on those that haven't done that." @EmmaRaducanu pic.twitter.com/aEjNSb7uwH
— Jay (@theoverrule) June 29, 2022
Raducanu vs. Garcia
This year at Wimbledon, Raducanu has been the biggest sensation, having first shown up on the tennis scene here a year ago when she was 18 years old, ranked 338 in the world, and making an unpredicted run to the age of 16. Raducanu’s breakout summer was sealed with a remarkable win at the 2021 US Open.
Caroline Garcia, a 28-year-old French athlete, arrives with a diverse set of all-court tools capable of propelling her into the Top 10. However, this has not occurred. Garcia, who rose to No. 4 in 2018 but is now ranked 55th, has struggled to maintain consistency, both during tournaments and from day to day.
Garcia’s most recent match against Raducanu was dramatic, with Raducanu winning 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 this spring at Indian Wells. Yesterday, though, Garcia defeated the reigning US Open champion, claiming that she learned a few things from her when both of them were up against each other in the United States.
In the game, Garcia quickly took control of nearly every square inch of the court, exposing Raducanu’s weaknesses after weaknesses after rallying from love-30 in the first game to hold serve. Garcia frequently targeted Raducanu’s service game, stepping well within the baseline to revert it, generally with depth and occasionally with a burst to the net.