Where there is fame, there is scrutiny. One common scrutiny theme of athletes is a shift of focus after they gain popularity and start earning big bucks. This has been the case with Lewis Hamilton ever since his F1 debut in 2007. However, even after 16 years in the sport, the Brit still faces such accusations, similar to a young counterpart, Emma Raducanu.
Emma Raducanu is a Canada-born British tennis sensation. She amassed massive popularity in 2021 after becoming the youngest person to win the US Open aged 18. The following year, she became the second highest-paid player on the WTA roster due to her numerous endorsement deals.
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The tennis star has failed to find her winning form since her US Open heroics. In fact, the now 20-year-old earned more money than the world’s No. 1 Iga Swiatek in 2022. This scenario has earned Raducanu a lot of criticism because of which she had to make her stance clear.
“I made it very, very clear to every single person in my team that I was not going to cancel one training session or practice session for any off-court commitments,” she said. “That was a non-negotiable for me. I wanted to make sure that that is my priority and it is. so that everyone’s clear about that.”
These comments by Raducanu echo those of Hamilton when the Brit was scrutinized for his poor performance in the 2022 season as well.
Lewis Hamilton defends his work ethic amidst a string of poor performances in the 2022 season
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The Brit has endured the most difficult season of his career in 2022. This scenario has earned the Mercedes man constant criticism throughout the season.
Defending his extracurricular work, Hamilton told GPFans, “It is not that they [other projects] are less important. My priority is with my job here with the team. When you are racing on a weekend, there is time in between to do the work there and the work with Mission 44, for example.”
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WATCH THIS STORY: Lewis Hamilton Jumps Off a Plane Amidst His Mental Health Woes
In completely different stages of their careers, the two Brits faced similar criticism, and both replied on a similar note. Do you see these two getting back on top of their game in 2023?