Dan Evans aimed to be measured in his critique of Emma Raducanu, yet he emphasized to the 21-year-old that her actions towards Andy Murray were unjust. He advised her to reflect on the situation and improve in future similar circumstances.
Last Wednesday, Raducanu confirmed that she had agreed to play mixed doubles with Murray for his Wimbledon farewell. She expressed her excitement about the opportunity, stating that she had no reservations after receiving Murray’s invitation.
However, on Saturday, Raducanu withdrew from the mixed doubles event due to wrist soreness, just before their scheduled opening match. This withdrawal ended Murray’s farewell at Wimbledon, as he had not competed in the singles and had already been eliminated in the men’s doubles with his brother Jamie Murray.
In response to the news on X, Judy Murray described the situation as “astonishing.” After the media quickly highlighted her comment, she clarified that her use of the term was meant to be “sarcastic” rather than a direct criticism of Raducanu.
Evans to Raducanu: You Should Have Been Fully Committed to the Situation
“It’s disappointing how things turned out, with Emma withdrawing just hours before their match on Court No 1 due to a sore wrist. Naturally, singles takes precedence due to the higher prize money, and that will always be Emma’s primary focus,” Evans wrote in a column for The Daily Mail.
“However, once you agree to play doubles with someone, especially in a unique situation like this, you should be fully committed. I recently partnered with Andy at Roland-Garros, and he waited all week to play with me after being eliminated from singles.
“I understand why Emma withdrew, but it highlights the importance of only committing to something if you’re completely on board.”
Following her unexpected round-of-16 loss to Lulu Sun on Sunday, Raducanu stated that she was “standing by her decision” to withdraw, citing her well-known injury history. She explained that playing on that specific day would have been too risky for her.
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