Emma Raducanu is competing at the Korea Open. (Image: Aaron Chown / PA)
Raducanu Faced Challenging Season Amid Growing Criticism
In 2024, tennis star Emma Raducanu had taken part in several tournaments, but all had ended in defeat, leading to a rise in the number of her critics.
Raducanu was recently knocked out of the US Open by Sofia Kenin, suffering a 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 loss on the Grandstand court. The 21-year-old had already exited early from Wimbledon and a WTA 500 event in Washington, and she had failed to participate in the Cincinnati Open.
In the midst of her on-court struggles, Raducanu had also turned down the opportunity to represent Team GB at the Paris Olympics, choosing instead to focus on the American tournament circuit.
Off the court, Raducanu had recently ended her relationship with Carlo Agostinelli, a former Tottenham Hotspur youth player who had moved to the United States to play for Stanford University. Their relationship, which reportedly began in May 2023, became public during Paris Fashion Week after several joint appearances. However, the two eventually decided to part ways, with Raducanu unfollowing Agostinelli on social media earlier that summer.
After a difficult summer, Raducanu began to rediscover her form at the Korean Open, securing a win against Peyton Stearns in the round of 32. On Thursday, September 19, she faced Yue Yuan in the round of 16, hoping to progress further in the tournament and quiet her critics.
A victory at that stage would have marked a significant step toward regaining the form that brought her global fame in 2021.
