"Is any player this relentlessly scrutinised": Fans fume over implication that Emma Raducanu attending party in Dubai was to blame for Qatar Open loss

Tennis fans rushed to Emma Raducanu’s defense after it was insinuated that the Brit’s attendance at a party in Dubai was to blame for her recent Qatar Open loss.

On Monday (February 12), wild card entrant Emma Raducanu took the court against Italian Open runner-up Anhelina Kalinina for her opening match at the 2024 Qatar Open in Doha.

The Brit was trounced by her opponent in the first set. The second set was a tight battle. Raducanu kept things competitive to take the set to a tiebreak. She even created a set point opportunity, but was unable to capitalize. Anhelina Kalinina eventually emerged victorious 6-0, 7-6(6).

Following her defeat, Emma Raducanu copped criticism for her discouraging campaign thus far. The Times’ Stuart Fraser wrote an article questioning the 2021 US Open champion's preparation in the days leading up to the match.

On social media, the British tennis journalist seemingly insinuated that her appearance at the opening party of a luxury hotel in Dubai alongside the likes of Naomi Campbell, Jennifer Lopez and Vanessa Hudgens, was to blame for her on-court performance.

"Emma Raducanu reasonably described some of the criticism about her sponsorship duties as ‘unfair’, but questions have to be asked about her preparation for the Qatar Open. Less than 48 hours after attending a hotel launch in Dubai, she was bageled in Doha," he wrote on X.

Tennis fans did not take kindly to his implications.

"Is any other player this relentlessly and unfairly scrutinised by the media? Its not like she was hungover and throwing up in today's match because she was recently at a party. Just had no feel for the conditions. Give her space, let her play," one fan wrote.

"I get that British press loves to cover British players, but feels like Raducanu could stand to benefit from less coverage. She’s 262 in the world; we don’t have to cover her like she’s #1," another fan said.

Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:

---

Emma Raducanu assesses her Qatar Open 2024 defeat: "I think I was struggling with everything"

Emma Raducanu pictured at the 2024 Qatar Open

Emma Raducanu shared an honest assessment of her loss in the opening round of the 2024 Qatar Open. The Brit, who was playing just her seventh match upon return from three surgeries, said that she struggled with every aspect of her game.

"I think I was struggling with everything, serve, return, forehand, backhand. To be honest, I felt like I never really got into it," she told Sky Sports.

The 2021 US Open champion added that the outdoor daytime schedule contributed to her poor performance, given that she hadn't had enough practice in such conditions.

"I think it was a combination of things. It's like my first day match I think I've played in a year, so that's different. Honestly, I think I need to practice training outside a bit more because it's very different, and also the light, conditions, shadows - it's really hard to kind of see the ball, I found towards the end," she said.

Emma Raducanu has won three of the seven matches she has played so far in 2024: in the opening rounds of the ASB Classic, the Australian Open and the Abu Dhabi Open.

After her Doha exit, the former World No. 10, who is currently ranked No. 262, said that she would be skipping the upcoming WTA 1000 in Dubai to get some practice before her upcoming tournaments.

"I think that I need to schedule my tournaments a bit better as well as just trying to get some more matches under my belt. I think that I'm just going to go home and practise and we'll see where it goes from there," Raducanu said.