Emma Raducanu takes action to avoid being 'attacked' ahead of US Open defence

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Emma Raducanu has revealed that she has changed her social media habits to avoid being “attacked” and criticised. The world No 10 is making her debut at the Canada Open this week as part of the lead-up to her US Open title defence, and reacted to the backlash she has faced this season.

Raducanu is less than three weeks away from her first-ever title defence which happens to be at one of the biggest tournaments in the sport - the US Open. The Bromley teenager shot to superstardom when she became the first qualifier in history to win a Major there last year, while ranked down at world No 150.

Now inside the world’s top 10, the 19-year-old is yet to make it beyond a quarter-final in the tournaments she has played since winning the title in Flushing Meadows, and has been struggling with a number of injuries and niggles this season as well as several coaching changes. And the Toronto-born Brit has now responded to the criticism she has faced as she prepares to compete in her city of birth.

Reflecting on the last 12 months, Raducanu touched on her life since becoming the US Open champion and said: “I would tell you that nothing has changed, I still do the same things as before, I am still the same 19-year-old girl.

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