Emma Raducanu's remarkable US Open win is 'not good for tennis', says former champion Flavia Pennetta

ByEurosport

Published 21/10/2021 at 08:29 GMT

The 18-year-old Brit stunned the tennis world when she battled through qualifying at Flushing Meadows, winning ten matches in a row to secure her maiden Grand Slam. As a result, Raducanu rocketed up to 22 in the world rankings and has become a national sensation in England. Pennetta says Raducanu's tournament win reflects badly on the women's game as a whole.

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Former US Open champion Flavia Pennetta says Emma Raducanu’s US Open win is "not good" for tennis.

Pennetta was seeded 26th in the world when she won the Grand Slam herself in 2015, beating Roberta Vinci 7-6, 6-2 in the final.

However, she does not believe Raducanu winning one of the tennis calendar’s most important events is necessarily good for the women’s game.

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"I don't like it," the retired Italian told Corriere della Sera. "What is happening, this very strong discontinuity, in my opinion, is not good for tennis.

"In my time it could never have happened that a young girl played from qualifying, like Emma Raducanu in New York, to win a Grand Slam.

Top athletes made too much difference. There is something wrong.

"Charisma is missing, so women's tennis is more difficult to sell."

Raducanu picked up a £1.8m pay cheque for winning the US Open, gained an extra 2 million Instagram followers and has secured sponsorship deals with Tiffany and Dior.

However, she was knocked out of the second round of Indian Wells in her first tournament back since the US Open and pulled out of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow due to a ‘schedule change’.

Raducanu is currently training with Johanna Konta’s former coach Esteban Carril, who helped Konta rise from outside the top 100 in the world to the top 10, on a trial basis as she looks to find a new mentor ahead of her appearance at the Transylvania Open at the end of October.

The 18-year-old had Andrew Richardson in her box during her shock run to the US Open title, but his short-term contract was not extended.