Naomi Broady has hit back at criticism of Novak Djokovic and Emma Raducanu. The former British player has suggested people are ‘jealous’ of the success Djokovic and Raducanu have enjoyed in the sport.
Djokovic and Raducanu are two players who have split opinion over the years. The Serb has courted controversy on and off the tennis court.
Meanwhile, Raducanu’s dip in form since her US Open triumph in 2021 has prompted some fans and pundits to question whether she will match those heights again.
Broady believes both players are unfairly treated. The 34-year-old does not think critics would have the courage to make comments to either player’s face.
“I don’t know if it’s a case that someone has to be cast as the villain and you have to say, ‘Sorry it’s you’,” Broady told Tennis 365.
“Why should it be Djokovic? Why should it be Emma Raducanu getting those negative comments? They have done nothing other than achieve incredible things in tennis.
“Maybe it’s jealousy, or just people aren’t able to comprehend what they’ve done and understand the hard work that has gone into it. You also need to understand what it means to them. We sometimes don’t see people as humans and just see them as robots.
“Also, would people say these negative things to their face if they were fortunate enough to meet them? Probably not.”
Raducanu underwent three separate surgeries on her wrists and ankle in 2023, in an attempt to overcome recurring injuries. She has since struggled for consistency.
The 22-year-old reached the third round of the Australian Open despite that tournament being her first action of the year. But she has since lost in the first rounds of both the Singapore Open and the Abu Dhabi Open.
Some fans have raised theories that Raducanu was lucky to win the US Open, but Broady strongly disagrees.
“People who have that attitude and say Emma got lucky when we won the US Open don’t understand tennis,” she continued. “You hear them say she is a one-Slam wonder and it was a fluke that she won the US Open.
“If you understand tennis, you will know that is not possible. You can’t come through qualifying, win seven matches without dropping a set and win a Grand Slam by luck.
“She has the level and she needs to get back there and it’s incredibly difficult not to look at those articles online and get dragged into the negativity.”