Emma Raducanu’s struggles continue as the British No. 1 crashes out of the Qatar Open in yet another early exit this year. Following a subpar 2024 season, the former US Open champion has now experienced her third first-round exit in this year’s WTA Tour events. Lacking confidence, Raducanu kicked off the 2025 season much like last year. After a third-round exit at the Australian Open at the hands of Iga Świątek, her struggles continued at the Singapore Open and the Abu Dhabi Open, where she crashed out in the R32. Now her defeat in Doha after a wildcard entry into the tournament has generated harsh fan criticism. But why this agitation?

Hoping for redemption at the season’s first WTA 1000 event at Doha, Raducanu faced 26th seed Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova yesterday. However, the 60th-ranked Brit fell short once again, losing in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5. Yet, this wasn’t just the loss that had fans fuming on social media. The backlash following the match stemmed from more than just Raducanu’s performance on the court this season.

Raducanu’s 2024 season was a rollercoaster following her comeback from wrist and ankle surgery in January. After returning at the WTA 250 event in Auckland, she struggled to rediscover the form that propelled her to a historic US Open title in 2021 as a qualifier. Raducanu’s performance at the Madrid Open thereafter left her gutted, as, despite receiving a wildcard entry there, she failed to make it past the R1, falling to Maria Lourdes Carle 6-2, 6-2. The aftermath? Well, it was even more telling, as the Brit opted to skip the remainder of the clay season, including the Rome Open and the prestigious Roland-Garros.

Despite going without a major slam title at any level in 2024, she was granted another wildcard at the ongoing Qatar Open, a decision that left many fans puzzled. Some believed the spot could have been better awarded to the 2020 Olympic Gold winner Belinda Bencic, who recently made a triumphant return by winning the Abu Dhabi Open after a 13-month gap from center court because of the birth of her first child Bella.

As Raducanu suffered another early exit, the backlash on social media was swift and ruthless as the fans questioned her form and commitment, and even speculated about her early retirement.

“Another wasted wild card for Emma” – tennis fans outrage continues for the Brit No. 1

Just after the Raducanu match, The Tennis Letter uploaded a post on X, stating, “Ekaterina Alexandrova d. Emma Raducanu 6-3 7-5 in Doha. Drova keeps rolling. After winning the title in Linz last week, she’s now won her last 5 matches. She lost to Emma at the Australian Open last month, so this was a bit of revenge. Striking the ball excellently.”

Just under the post, a tennis lover added, “Don’t worry Emma, another wildcard is coming 4 you 😂😂😂.” Make sense? Well, since the Brit’s comeback from injury in January 2024, Raducanu has received an astonishing “12 wildcard entries” into WTA tournaments, including the very event she was just eliminated from in Doha. Among others are the prestigious tournaments like ‘Indian Wells’, the ‘Stuttgart Open’, the ‘Madrid Open’, the ‘Nottingham Open’, ‘Eastbourne International’, the Washington Open, and even Wimbledon 2024. The list goes on and never stops, even in a fresh new season of 2025. Another fan added, “Ok, can we agree you don’t mention Raducanu for at least six months now?”. 

Echoing the same sentiment, a netizen said, “Another wasted wild card for Emma, ​​who is probably more of a model and influencer than a tennis player at this point. Can we stop getting excited about Ms. Raducanu, who is an average player?” This might have stemmed from Emma’s association with one of her major sponsors, Dior, with whom she has appeared in multiple advertisements, editorials, and magazine covers. The Brit even made headlines when photos from her Dior modeling shoot with Amanda Fordyce surfaced online, sparking buzz across social media.

Another tennis enthusiast stated, “Is it time for Emma to retire?” Well, at 22, Emma Raducanu first rose to the limelight in 2021 when she captured her maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open, defeating Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 in the final. However, since that historic triumph, the Brit has struggled to replicate such success, with recurring injuries and a string of early exits preventing her from reaching similar heights in the next 4 years. Once ranked as high as 10th in the WTA ranking, Raducanu has yet to regain the momentum that once made her one of tennis’s brightest young stars in the open era. While another fan added, “Emma isn’t an unserious player”. 

The Brit surely needs to raise her game now if she hopes to make a deep run in her upcoming tournaments. What do you think?