Emma Raducanu shares iconic monologue from 'Ratatouille' about criticism and talent in cryptic update
Emma Raducanu has seemingly sent a message to her critics with a cryptic social media post amidst her ongoing struggles on the court.
Raducanu spent nearly eight months away from the Tour after undergoing surgeries on both her wrists and an ankle last year. She rocketed to fame after winning the 2021 US Open as a qualifier — a feat no one in the Open Era had managed before.
Raducanu's form since then has been underwhelming, to say the least. She has never reached the third round of any Slam and hasn't won any other title after winning the big one at Flushing Meadows.
The Brit announced her return on the Tour in style, winning her first match against Elena-Gabriela Ruse at the ASB Classic. She gave second seed Elina Svitolina a tough fight in the second round, taking both sets to a tiebreaker before losing the third, 1-6.
Two more second-round exits followed — at the Australian Open and the Abu Dhabi Open. Her most recent appearance came in the first round of the WTA 1000 Qatar Open against Anhelina Kalinina.
And while Raducanu did take the second set into a tiebreaker before losing 6-7(6), she was handed a bagel in the first. Some critics have raised the question if the Brit was a one Slam wonder while others have wondered if the former World No. 10 would break into the top 10 ever again.
Amidst this, Raducanu posted a quote from the movie 'Ratatouille' on her Instagram story. The monologue in question was delivered by the food critic, Anton Ego, who uttered the words right after his preconceived notions about 'fine cooking' were broken by the movie's protagonist, a chef mouse named Ratatouille.
It reads:
"In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so.
"But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations. The new needs friends."
Check out her story below:
It is worth mentioning that Raducanu is still just 21. While there are critics, Tim Henman, for one, has backed her to achieve big things if she plays a series of matches without getting injured in the process.
Emma Raducanu urges patience after Qatar Open exit
Emma Raducanu has said that she will start to connect with the ball better as time passes, given she missed a huge chunk of last season due to injury.
The Brit won just 38% of the points from her second serve and made 48 unforced errors in her loss against Anhelina Kalinina. Speaking after her exit from the WTA 1000 in Doha, she told Sky Sports (via Tennis Now):
"I just struggled with the timing of the ball to be honest. I think it's going to come with more time, practicing as well as matches. I think it's going to come with time, practicing and it's hard for me to get used to just the tour schedule, it's just like: tournament, back, tournament just straight away."
Raducanu was handed a wildcard entry into the Qatar Open and is not participating in the ongoing Dubai Open.