ROLAND GARROS — The trolls were out in force after just 25 minutes of Emma Raducanu’s first setps into the French Open draw.
Handed a 6-0 scoreline in the opening set by Solana Sierra – colloquially called a bagel in tennis after the round “0” – the social media reaction was utterly predictable.
“Still time to change coach before the end of the match.” “Her press conferences are longer than her sets.” “A model who occasionally turns up to a tennis tournament.”
Raducanu made a match of the second set but still lost 6-0, 7-6, and more criticism streamed in, claiming she did not care and would be glad of the extra time off in the spiritual home of fashion.
In fact the truth, if it wasn’t already clear, was never more so than when the 23-year-old struggled to hold back the tears as she was asked: “To stop and come back all the time, what kind of mindset do you need to just go through that?”
