Tennis fans were taken by surprise after Emma Raducanu seemingly “rolled her eyes” at Linda Noskova, following a frosty handshake after their match at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.
Wildcard entrant Raducanu took on Czech teenager Noskova in the second round of the WTA 500 event in Stuttgart on Thursday, April 18. Noskova, who famously defeated Iga Swiatek in the third round of this year’s Australian Open, failed to keep pace with the Brit in the opening set, giving her a 6-0 lead.
The second set proved to be a neck-and-neck battle. Emma Raducanu eventually came out on top 6-0, 7-5 to advance to the quarterfinals after one hour and 19 minutes on the court. The battle involved some contentious calls made by the line umpires - a few of which were overturned by the chair umpire, while a few others went against the competitors — which set the tone for the match.
Following the match, Emma Raducanu and Linda Noskova had a seemingly frosty handshake at the net. Several fans on X pointed out that the Brit allegedly let her feelings known about the exchange by “rolling her eyes” at her opponent.
"Am I blind or did Emma roll her eyes right after the poor handshake from Noskova?!?!?" one fan wondered.
"Don't blame her. Hahaha.. Noskova is a sore loser," one fan said.
Another fan noted that the handshake was reminiscent of Jelena Ostapenko’s exchanges – the 2017 French Open champion is known for her cold interactions with her opponents.
"@WTA @EmmaRaducanu That's an Ostapenko-esque handshake," another fan said.
Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:
"Sis is only just starting to win more than 2 matches in a row and she’s already rolling her eyes. Ah beg," another fan joked.
"@WTA @EmmaRaducanu thank handshake....quick quick," one fan wrote.
"@WTA @EmmaRaducanu Why is everyone so c**ty at the net at this tournament?" another fan wrote.
Emma Raducanu on her form in Stuttgart ahead of Iga Swiatek clash: "I must say I'm not too surprised"
After a slow start to her 2024 campaign, Emma Raducanu is now kicking into gear. The Brit, who was on the sidelines for eight months due to three surgeries last year, has clinched some of her biggest wins since her comeback in recent days.
Raducanu started her claycourt run by representing her country at the Bille Jean King Cup. Here, she defeated former World No. 4 Caroline Garcia and Diane Parry.
Before her win against Linda Noskova at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, the 2021 US Open champion also defeated former World No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam winner Angelique Kerber 6-2, 6-1.
Raducanu spoke about her promising results in her on-court interview after the second round:
"I must say I’m not too surprised because I’ve been working really hard on the training court," the World No. 303 said. "It was just a matter of time."
Emma Raducanu added that the best is yet to come, but she is thrilled with her progress.
"Honestly, I don’t think this is my best; I still have a long way to go. But I’m just happy that the rewards are starting to come on the match court because you know how it is – you’re training day in, day out and you feel like the results aren’t exactly going your way," she said.
The 21-year-old has now set up a thrilling quarterfinal clash against World No. 1 and two-time defending champion Iga Swiatek. This will be the duo’s third meeting on the tour, with Swiatek enjoying a 2-0 head-to-head.
"We played here (in Stuttgart) two years ago in the quarters again, so it’s exactly the same. But I guess I’ve come a long way since two years. I’ve matured a lot and she’s obviously achieved so much. So for me it’s a where I have nothing to lose," she said about the four-time Grand Slam champion.