This summer has certainly held plenty of exciting news within tennis, the end of the grand slam dream for Djokovic following the loss, and the closing end of an era as Roger Federer continues to discuss troubles with injury despite mixed news around the feeling after knee surgery – the big news however has been around Emma Raducanu and the historic run to with the US Open after securing a wildcard position in Wimbledon just months prior. Whilst she is certainly now a big hit, there may be a question around the future with how media coverage has been and the impact it has had on other athletes too.
Some are comparing it to another big star from women’s tennis in Naomi Osaka, having recently faced troubles with some organisers and citing mental health concerns as a reason for not attending some events, its clear that the pressure of the media within the sport is having a larger impact on some rather than others – Osaka had recently also confirmed her withdrawal from the Indian Wells event, perhaps going in as the favourite for some platforms like this BetMGM Sportsbook which has received great reviews, having also pulled out of recent events too. Having won the event back in 2018 but struggling since the French Open after a run of strong performances, it has shown just how big of an impact the media can have.
For now, Raducanu seems to be enjoying all of the attention that the big US Open win has brought with it, but sports media is well known to not always be the kindest and pressure is certainly building to put up repeat performances – now ranked at world #22 and having received a number of big sponsorship deals and other offers too, it certainly builds pressure for someone so young with such a huge victory so early on in the career. Whether or not that pressure will play a part in the success moving forward is yet to be seen, but it is also a positive that there are already experienced role models like Osaka close at hand to help guide through mental health issues early on, and to show that stepping back when needed is something that is not only becoming more acceptable, but also something that should be taken more as a priority.
It isn’t only in tennis that this is being seen, but sporting globally too, it’s still rare to see a young talent hit a huge performance so early now however, and this historic run could unveil problems within sports media and how reporting, and how a different approach may be needed to ensure younger athletes are protected to prevent issues further on in their career.
