Tennis star Emma Raducanu isn’t feeling the pressure following her early exit from Wimbledon on Wednesday.
The 19-year-old was ousted in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 by France’s Caroline Garcia during the second round of the tennis championships, another crushing exit on her home turf.
Last year, she withdrew mid-match from Wimbledon during the fourth round due to breathing difficulties.
The 86-minute duel was a tough pill to swallow given that Raducanu had beaten the 28-year-old Frenchwoman at Indian Wells in March, and has struggled to advance beyond the second round in any of this year’s Grand Slams.
Raducanu, ranked 11th in the WTA rankings, has struggled to maintain her momentum since her fast track to stardom which included her win at the U.S Open, becoming the first British woman in decades to win a Grand Slam singles title.
But when the tennis teen was asked about the pressure on her shoulders during a post-match conference following the defeat, she took the scrutiny in stride.
“There’s no pressure,” said Raducanu. “Like why is there any pressure? I’m still 19. Like, it’s a joke. I literally won a slam.”
“Yes, I have had attention,” Raducanu continued. “But I’m a 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.”
All eyes are sure to be back on Raducanu as she travels to New York this September to defend her U.S. Open title.
“Going back to New York, it’s going to be cool because I have got a lot of experiences playing on big courts, playing with people in the stadium, playing with the spotlight on you,” Raducanu said. “I don’t mind that. I mean, for me, everything is learning. I’m embracing every single moment that is thrown at me.”
