Emma Raducanu “has a lot to learn,” according to Sloane Stephens.
The American Stephens briefly vented about her British opponent after Raducanu won their first-round Australian Open matchup, 6-0, 2-6, 6-1, early Tuesday. Stephens seemed irked by Raducanu’s reaction to winning the first point of the match.
“Everyone saw after the first point she gave like a massive scream,” Stephens told reporters in Melbourne. “She played me, someone she’s ranking-wise supposed to beat. And, I mean, yeah, she won.”
The showdown of US Open champions was one of the highlights in the opening round of the first Grand Slam of the season. Raducanu, 19, is one of the rising stars in the sport after her stunning run to a title at Flushing Meadows over the summer.
“Because she is so young, it’s definitely a long road, so there’s going to be a lot of ups and downs. I think she, yeah, has just a lot to learn,” Stephens said.
Stephens, 28, then seemed to go a step further with her criticism, saying, “I was talking to someone in the locker room and I’m like, ‘We’ll be here when she comes down.'”
Though, according to the Independent, she quickly clarified that she wasn’t talking about Raducanu in particular.
“Not Emma but just in general. It all is like a cycle, and I think learning how to deal with it early on is the best way to handle it. Just because there’s always a lot of ups and downs in tennis,” said Stephens, who has had a volatile career since winning the US Open in 2017.
Raducanu, seeded No. 17 in Australia, will face Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic in the second round on Thursday.
“I think 2022 is all about learning for me,” the Brit said of losing the second set against Stephens after a dominant first. “Being in those situations of, you know, winning a set and then having to fight in a decider is definitely all just accumulating into a bank of experience that I can tap into later on down the line.”
