Emma Radukanu admits she is “cautious” when she goes out following the stalker challenge earlier this year.
Briton, 22, is in tears behind the referee’s chair after finding a man “sticking” during a match against Dubai’s Karolina Mciba in February. At the time, Radkanu said, “I was crying and couldn’t see the ball.”
In an interview with the BBC, she said the period was even more “difficult” because there is no full-time coach. She is now happy with her new coaches, Mark Petty and Nick Cavade, but the feeling of uneasiness from the court remains.
“I definitely noticed a difference in the way people look at my back when I was on the site (in tournaments),” she said.
“When I go out, I’m clearly wary. I try not to be careless about it because when you’re in that situation, I just understand how problematic it is and I don’t necessarily want to be in that situation again.
“But for now, from the court, I feel good. I feel pretty calm. I feel like there are good people around me.
Radukanu also said that since the surprising US open victory in 2021, he found it difficult to deal with negative headlines and social media comments amid a decline in injuries and shapes.
“It’s really hard, especially when you look at these negative headlines,” she added. “I’m someone who cares what people think and what people say, so it’s not easy for me to deal with.”
Knocked out of the French Open in the second round by Iga Swiatek, Raducanu will be featured in the first Women’s Queens Club Championship before Wimbledon.
