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Tennis fans have not taken kindly to Corentin Moutet making light of Emma Raducanu's struggles.
Having risen to fame as an 18-year-old when she won the 2021 US Open, becoming the first-ever qualifier to win a Grand Slam, Raducanu has struggled to replicate that form since.
Having tumbled down the WTA rankings, she has fallen outside the top 100 now and is no longer the British No. 1 either, with Katie Boulter taking that spot. Raducanu recently underwent multiple surgeries and is spending an extended period on the sidelines, missing both the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships.
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In a recent interview, Emma Raducanu opened up about her struggles and even stated that she sometimes wishes she had not won the US Open in 2021.
“Since then I’ve had a lot of setbacks, one after the other. I am resilient, my tolerance is high, but it’s not easy. And sometimes I think to myself I wish I’d never won the US Open, I wish that didn’t happen,’’ she said. (via The Times)
Corentin Moutet, who reached a career-high of World No. 51 in November last year, took to social media and mocked Raducanu's statement.
"Sometimes i wish i never won brest challenger," he tweeted.
Moutet's words enraged a large section of tennis fans, with one pondering why it was necessary to make fun of her mental health struggles.
"Idk what it is about men getting so turned on by the opportunity to make light of a woman’s mental health struggles," a fan said.
Another fan stated that Moutet should play to his potential instead of worrying about other things.
"Sometimes I wish you actually played to your potential instead of losing your mind," a tweet read.
Here are a few more fan reactions:
Rennae Stubbs urges Emma Raducanu to focus on recovery and comeback strong
While Corentin Moutet chose to make fun of Emma Raducanu, former doubles World No. 1 Rennae Stubbs had words of encouragement for the Brit.
Reacting to Raducanu's words, Stubbs reiterated that the 20-year-old was a good player and all she needed to focus on right now was her recovery.
“Emma, you are good enough. You've proven it, you’ve won a Grand Slam already, you're a great player. You made the fourth round of Wimbledon. These are all the things that you're still capable of doing. Get your health, get yourself healthy. Get the right people around. Don't do anything more than you need to do,” she said.
Stubbs, who has previously coached Serena Williams, advised Raducanu to take a break from the sport before making her comeback.
“I would wait an entire year. I would get yourself, like Rafael Nadal, get yourself a hundred percent ready to go. Get yourself fit, get yourself strong again and get back out there on the tennis court. And I would wait a year to do that and I would do it next year,” she added.
