Following the ‘ridiculous and inexcusable’ comments made by Eddie Jones, England Rugby head coach, supporters rallied around Emma Raducanu.
Jones, who is 61 years old, warned Marcus Smith, the rising star flyhalf, of increased attention. She used US Open champion Raducanu’s example to show how athletes can get distracted by rising fame.
Raducanu who already stresses tennis as her “priority”, gained star status when she won her maiden Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows. Brands lined up to sponsor her and offer sponsorship deals.
Since winning in New York the 18-year-old has signed deals with Dior and Tiffany & Co jewellers, as well as appearing in Sports Direct’s Christmas advert alongside Manchester City’s midfielder Jack Grealish.
Jones explained that distractions were the biggest thing for young athletes. Distractions could be their exposure in media, praise or criticism, and groups of agents that see them as the next big thing.
“There is a reason the US Open winner has not done well since then. Have you ever seen her wearing Christian Dior clothes? Vogue’s cover, Harper’s Bazaar’s top page, wherever it may be, with Christian Dior clothes.
“He’s grounded but all of them start out grounded. They don’t start with their feet on the ground, they either don’t make it in the team or don’t win the US Open. There’s a flood of distractions, which makes you feel ungrounded.
Emma Raducanu’s rise to fame has been used by England coach Eddie Jones as a warning to fly-half Marcus Smith – with Jones claiming Raducanu has become distracted off the court
Fans criticized Jones’ comments about the tennis star, saying he lacks respect.
Jones’s comments were quickly rebuffed by social media as “nonsense” and “cheap shots”.
Important to note that Raducanu is a Romanian. Vogue’s cover photo was shot pre-US Open. She had won at Wimbledon weeks prior and has since lost only two matches.
The infamous ‘cheap shot” Jones took at a player he simply called a ‘young lady’ was so baffling that fans were genuinely puzzled.
One fan commented, “What a silly comment!”
One added, “What a poor shot from a coach.” But he will not be embarrassed.
While only participating in a few tour tournaments, Emma Raducanu, a schoolgirl, went from 343 on the world rankings to 21. Even though she had never won on the WTA circuit before, she was awarded her first GS. Another furious fan made scathing remarks about the successful teenage star.
Raducanu produced the sporting story of the year by winning the US Open as a qualifier
The 18-year old saw the media attention for Grand Slam quickly increase overnight after that maiden Grand Slam.
Jones called Raducanu a “young girl” rather than a name. Fans referred to it as ‘nasty.
Smith, Harlequins’ fly-half is creating a lot of buzz in rugby circles. He is considered the future for England at the No10 position.
Raducanu has done a remarkable feat, but he isn’t comparable. Raducanu continues to adapt to his WTA Tour life.
A fan’s opinion was that Eddie Jones is too harsh here. Emma Raducanu, is the name she was given to her. Marcus Smith won’t win a major title. While 28 minutes worth of rugby excitement in an Autumn series doesn’t equal winning the grand slam title, Smith has every right to be happy with it.
It is crucial to understand context. Raducanu, who was snapped at New York Met Gala in celebration of her US Open win, hasn’t missed a single training session. Jones also over-stressed Jones’ off-court tasks since she won her US Open.
“Does Raducanu really want Raducanu to remain on a tennis court the rest of her 15-year life?” Since her win, she’s participated in 4 events off the court. In addition, she said that she’s not missed any training. Jones was referred to as “nonsense” by another fan.
Smith was a prominent part of England’s victory over Tonga, 69-3 on Saturday afternoon
Raducanu insists that tennis is her number one priority, and she claims not to have missed any of the training sessions.
Others were furious that Smith and Raducanu had reached two very different places in their stardom.
The 18-year old Bromley native lost her New York victory to Marta Kostyuk in the quarterfinals at the Transylvania Open.
Raducanu is currently the number one seed in Linz.
Raducanu stated recently that he had made it clear to all members of his team that he was not planning to cancel any training or practice sessions due to court commitments.
“It was my goal to be sure it is my top priority. So everyone is clear on that. It’s managing my time and keeping up with all the other commitments.
“I’ve been very busy since the US Open. But I knew that it was going to be a good thing. I wasn’t expecting as much, but I have really enjoyed everything since then.