"Not using the attention for self-gratification" - Bianca Andreescu empathizes with Emma Raducanu on challenges of winning maiden Slam at a young age

Bianca Andreescu has empathized with Emma Raducanu over their shared experience of winning their maiden Grand Slam titles at a young age. Andreescu also shed light on how she would advise the Brit on managing the attention that accompanies the achievement.

Andreescu won her maiden Major title at the 2019 US Open on her main draw debut, pulling off a shock 6-3, 7-5 upset over Serena Williams in the final at just 19 years of age.

Raducanu had a similar dream run at the 2021 edition of the New York Major after entering the tournament as a qualifier. The then-18-year-old defeated Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 in the title clash to clinch her first Grand Slam title.

However, neither player has managed to replicate their initial success, with both experiencing similar struggles with recurrent injury setbacks.

On the latest episode of The Tennis Podcast, Bianca Andreescu empathized with Emma Raducanu, highlighting the difficulty of being thrust into the spotlight after winning a Grand Slam title at a young age.

"Definition I was watching. And then also having Leylah in the final, I thought that was incredible. But yeah, it’s just a tough position to be in at such a young age," she said (at 8:35).

The Canadian also disclosed that if she could advise Raducanu, she would encourage the Brit to savor the attention while staying grounded and not using it for self-gratification.

"Having so much attention on you but it does help you grow much faster and it helps you realize that you really have to savor those moments because you never know when it’ll happen again. I feel like what I could have maybe told her is, and I mean she knows her sh*t, she’s a very mature person, she won the US Open," she said.

"It’s more like savoring the moment and not taking advantage of it and obviously not letting the attention get to you too much and using it to your advantage, using it for good and not using it for self-gratification," she added.

"Emma Raducanu and Bianca Andreescu won a Grand Slam title very young in their career and they have to deal with that" - Tennis analyst

Bianca Andreescu and Emma Raducanu

In an episode of the Monday Match Analysis podcast last year, Gill Gross expressed similar sentiments about Emma Raducanu and Bianca Andresscu's early Grand Slam triumphs, emphasizing the weight of expectations that followed their respective victories.

"The problem is, I just think there's a lot of suffering after that, that I don't I wouldn't want like, once you win a Grand Slam now," Gross said. "It's like, are you gonna win it again, you're gonna win anything. I just feel like Emma Raducanu [and Bianca Andreescu], it's gonna be like, what's wrong with you?"

"I did it there, like I mean Emma Raducanu and Bianca Andreescu, they both have to kind of deal with that. Now they have [won] it very you know young in their career and they have to deal with that now. So no thanks, no," he added.

Both Andreescu and Raducanu have commenced their grasscourt preparations ahead of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. Andreescu is through to the semifinals of the Libema Open, where she will face Dalma Galfi.

Emma Raducanu, meanwhile, is set to take on compatriot Francesca Jones in the quarterfinals of the Rothesay Open in Nottingham.