Virginia Wade: Emma Raducanu has got target on her now

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Former British No. 1 Virginia Wade says Emma Raducanu has got a "target on her now" as the other players badly want to beat her. Raducanu, 19, put up a stunning run at the US Open to become the first qualifier in tennis history to win a Grand Slam.

“There are an awful lot of very good players and she’s got a target on her now. They all desperately want to beat her," Wade told the Radio Times. Since winning the US Open, Raducanu has signed sponsorship deals with Dior, Louis Vuitton and Tiffany.

Wade is hoping the lucrative deals won't negatively affect Radicanu. “Getting all these endorsements can turn these young players’ heads," Wade insisted. "You’ve got to remember you got [deals] because you’re a good tennis player, and not for any other reason.

“So you’d better stay being a good tennis player”.

Wade labels Raducanu as 'smart and intelligent'

“She’s very smart, intelligent, well-balanced, serious. She really applies herself. She problem-solves on the court," Wade said.

"We don’t need to expect anything spectacular in the next few years. Give her a couple of good, steady, learning years." Fernando Gonzalez, the 2007 Australian Open runner-up, agrees with Wade that the other players now want to beat Raducanu.

“We have to give her some time because clearly she is a great player with a great mentality and she will have a big career. To reach a Grand Slam final so early in your career and play such a great match against a player from your own generation was tough, but she won," Gonzaled told Tennis365.

“Now everyone is looking at her, expecting her to do something special and the other players want to beat her. That can be tough, but she is going to be fine." Raducanu, who is enjoying a career-high ranking of No. 19 in the world, hired Angelique Kerber's ex-coach Torben Beltz for the 2022 season.