By Erik Gudris | Tuesday, July 6, 2021
Former three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe continues to face criticism after his comments on the BBC regarding 18-year-old Briton Emma Raducanu retiring during her fourth round Wimbledon match.
Raducanu stopped playing during the second set of her fourth round match against Australia’s Ajla Tomljnaovic on Monday night.
More: Barty Sets Up Blockbuster Semifinal vs. Kerber
Raducanu, who suffered from breathing issues, was first visited by a trainer before then leaving the court for a medical timeout.
World No. 338 ranked Raducanu did not return to complete the match.
In a statement posted on social media after the match, Raducanu explained the situation by saying, “I was playing the best tennis of my life in front of an amazing crowd this week and I think the whole experience caught up with me. At the end of the first set, after some super intense rallies, I started to breathe heavily and felt dizzy.
“The medical team advised me not to continue and, although it felt like the hardest thing in the world not to be able to finish my Wimbledon on the court, I was not well enough to carry on,” Raducanu added, who finished saying she was feeling much better.
BBC analyst McEnroe said to viewers, “It appears it just got a little bit too much, as is understandable, particularly with what we’ve been talking about over the last six weeks, with Naomi Osaka not even here.”
Osaka, who won her second Australian Open title in February, chose not to compete at Wimbledon this year due to personal reasons.
Former world No. 1 McEnroe added in his analysis, “How much can players handle? It makes you look at the guys that have been around and the girls for so long—how well they handle it. We have to appreciate the players that are able to do it so well, and hopefully she will learn from this experience.”
McEnroe also mused that the previous five-set match between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alexander Zverev may have caused Raducanu to think about her own match more.
“I don’t think it helped that Zverev and Auger-Aliassime went as long as they did because that gave her more and more time to think about it. That’s a lot to take on, especially when you’ve never been there before.”
Tomljanovic offered her perspective in her post-match press conference.
“I wasn't a hundred percent sure what was wrong with Emma. I did hear the reasoning," Tomljanovic said. "I'll start with saying that I can't imagine being in her shoes at 18 playing a fourth round in your home country. It's something I can't even imagine.
"For him to say that, it's definitely harsh. I have experienced something similar but not to that extent. I know that it's a real thing. I've spoken to athletes that have gone through that. It's not easy.”
Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray offered his thoughts on social media in response to McEnroe and famed UK commentator Piers Morgan.
The BBC issued a statement saying: “John McEnroe offered his personal view on the pressures that tennis players face, based on both his own experience and those of current players. He was sympathetic to Emma’s situation.”
In a statement, ESPN said, “We are exploring the details surrounding what was said on BBC and will be following up with John.”
Photo credit: Getty