Emma Raducanu revealed she decided to cut down on social media after her Australian Open exit as she deleted WhatsApp and Instagram from her phone. Since winning the 2021 Us Open, Raducanu has been dealing with massive pressure and expectations.
After suffering a second-round defeat to Cori Gauff in the Australian Open second round, Raducanu realized that reading negative comments and critics from hecklers won’t do her any good. “After the AO [Australian Open] I deleted WhatsApp and Instagram off my phone, and after that, I’ve been living under my own little rock.
I felt like sometimes you go through patches where you just want to zone in on yourself, and I was very content with my life without it. I’ve learned regardless of what you do, if you do good, if you do bad, people are going to come at you regardless,” Raducanu said, per Eurosport.
Raducanu made a winning return in Indian Wells
On Thursday, Raducanu was playing her first match since the Australian Open. In the Indian Wells first round, Raducanu saw off Danka Kovinic 6-2 6-3. After battling tonsilitis and a recurring wrist injury, Raducanu contemplated withdrawing from Indian Wells.
In the end, Raducanu made the call to play just 20 minutes before the start of the match. “I didn’t feel too good this morning. I’m just so happy with the way I fought and dealt with the circumstances. I just woke up feeling not great to be honest.
I felt quite ill so I’m just happy to have played the match and then to win it despite how I felt today. Today before the match, I did not warm up. Two minutes before I was called I was sleeping in the treatment room so I’m just proud to have got out there and then won,” Raducanu told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.
Throughout the entire match, Raducanu was coughing between the points as it was evident that she was still feeling the effects of tonsilitis.
