Professional tennis is a sport that tends to be extremely lonely at the top. Indeed, once a player has got there by winning a grand slam, the awful reality is that the only real way is down if they aren’t able to remain at the summit of the sport. You could even go as far as to say that in many ways, the hard part only really begins once a player has won a grand slam given that the expectations get turned up dramatically.
For Emma Raducanu, her biggest battles are still ahead and the latest betting on tennis at Betfair indicates that nothing will come easily with the 19-year-old priced at long odds of 14/1 to win the Australian Open in early 2022.
Indeed, the most up-to-date tennis tips for the showdown in Melbourne favor local hero Ashleigh Barty to claim the first grand slam of the year and if truth be told, Raducanu’s outside odds do tell their own story of the upcoming hurdles. Of course, this doesn’t mean that Raducanu can’t win but in general and going forward, it is going to take a Herculean effort to stamp her mark on the women’s game like someone like Serena Williams was able to do.
BREAKING: US Open champion Emma Raducanu wins Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year 👏🏆 pic.twitter.com/Ql6aIIHqQ6
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) November 25, 2021
Some may argue that this is an unfair comparison to make at such an early age but their paths at this stage of their respective careers are eerily similar as Williams also won her first Grand Slam before 20. In fact, the harsh reality of the situation is that it doesn’t particularly matter if this is an unjust comparison that heaps pressure on Raducanu, given that this is the nature of life at the top of professional tennis. Indeed, once you take the spotlight and center stage after bursting onto the scene as a new sensation, there is no stopping the tidal wave of attention and comparisons that inevitably follow. It is an automatic response to what could be the next big thing in the world of not only tennis but sport itself.
The biggest challenge ahead as briefly touched on isn’t so much executing an exquisite backhand or serving for the match to win a grand slam, but rather being able to cope with the prior expectations of doing that. So, how does one effectively achieve that in a day and age where your every move is scrutinized?
very honoured and happy to join the iconic @TiffanyAndCo family✨ pic.twitter.com/UBnzZFHa5g
— Emma Raducanu (@EmmaRaducanu) September 22, 2021
It’s almost impossible to say given that players don’t respond to pressure in the same way. In other words, some professionals are able to take pressure in their stride while others fall apart at the seams once it is applied. You only have to look at a list of tennis’ one-hit grand slam wonders to realize that the heat does sometimes get unbearable in the kitchen and forces people to get out.
The warning at the end of the day has to be that irrespective of the fact that the brilliant Emma Raducanu has won her first grand slam, there is absolutely no guarantee that she will be able to do it again now that the real test has arrived.
