"Feel so sad for Emma Raducanu, hope she ends up doing something out of her free will": Fans react as Brit reveals her father 'forced' her into tennis

Emma Raducanu stated that her Romanian father Ion and Chinese mother Renee have always been strict, with the father forcing her into tennis. Several fans gave their thoughts on this.

Raducanu hasn't been able to live up to the promise that she showed the world by winning the 2021 US Open women's singles title as a qualifier without dropping a set throughout.

The 21-year-old revealed in a recent interview with The Times that her father forced her into tennis. She also said that the sport became a priority for her.

"At the start, my dad forced me into tennis. I didn't like it, but then as I got older and tennis became more of a priority, I was pushing myself. They are so pushy. When I was younger, more so," Emma Raducanu said.

Fans on X (formerly Twitter) registered their disappointment on learning about the Brit's upbringing.

"Well this sounds sh*t," a fan stated.

"God I feel so sad for her [Emma Raducanu]. I really hope she ends up *doing something she enjoys and out of her own free will, even if that thing isn't tennis," a fan wrote.

"NOT surprising knowing her parents’ background," stated another.

Here are a few more reactions:

"That’s so classic Asian parenting gurl I got the exact same thing except that I got injured and was so shit at tennis anyways so my parents gave up lol," a fan commented.

"It's very sad. But it's not a surprise. Helps to explain why she's making the most of enjoying what tennis has brought her, given she probably doesn't enjoy tennis itself," a fan tweeted.

"They don’t sound that extreme & it doesn’t sound like she resents them. She seems grounded and disciplined because of her upbringing - which is a good thing. The point of having parents is so they can guide you through life," a fan wrote.

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Emma Raducanu: "Seen some great people in juniors who had way more lenient parents and those players don't play anymore, so I don't blame my parents"

Emma Raducanu's mother Renee. PHOTO: GETTY

In the same interview with The Times, Emma Raducanu also pointed out the upside of having stricter parents as she recalled her colleagues at the juniors quitting tennis because their parents were undemanding.

"I've seen some great people who I was playing with in the juniors who had way more lenient parents who were like, ‘It’s ok if you lost’, and those players don’t play tennis anymore, so I don’t blame my parents for it," she said.

Emma Raducanu competed for the women's singles trophy at the 2024 Madrid Open. However, she returned empty-handed from the Spanish capital as she suffered a 6-2, 6-2 beating at the hands of Argentina's Maria Lourdes Carle in the opening round.

Furthermore, she was scheduled to participate in the qualifying rounds of the French Open but decided to withdraw.