Flavia Pennetta on the status of women's tennis: "I don't like it"
In an interview with Corriere della Sera, Flavia Pennettawas not very enthusiastic about Emma Raducanu's US Open coup. It is a trend in the wrong direction, explained the Italian.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Oct 24, 2021, 04:05 pm
Without a doubt, Emma Raducanu's great run of success at the US Open 2021 was one of the great sensations in tennis in the recent past. From the qualification for the first major title: The very own interpretation of the "rags-to-riches-to-millionaire" story of the British woman in New York City impressed the tennis world. That was also reflected in the numbers. Over 9.2 million viewers would have watched the final on British Channel 4, for example. More than at any other tennis match in 2021.
After the little British tennis fairy tale in Flushing Meadows, the tenor was clear: It was a great advertisement for tennis, which was also expressed by well-wishers from other sports, culture and politics. And yet not everyone sees the triumph of the 18-year-olds so positively. Flavia Pennetta, for example, was not very pleased with their coup: "I don't like it. What happened, this very strong discontinuity, is, in my opinion, not good for tennis," said the Italian when asked about the four different major winners this season opposite Corriere della Sera.
Pennetta: "Wouldn't swap with Osaka"
In her playing days, it could never have happened that a young girl playing qualification could have won a major event. "The top players made too big a difference," stressed Pennetta. "Something is wrong there. The charisma is missing, which is why women's tennis is more difficult to sell," said the Italian. These young players first have to assert themselves on the WTA tour, explained the 39-year-old: "The very young, Raducanu and Fernandez, have to prove themselves first. A Grand Slam Queen cannot vanish into thin air. I never have to heard the superstars, but I played at a high level for fifteen years and Francesca Schiavone did the same. "
A young lady who has managed to establish herself on the big tennis stage is Naomi Osaka. The Japanese, however, have to struggle with completely different problems: Problems for which Pennetta shows understanding: "Social media and media attention can destroy you. Today the bombardment is uninterrupted: It is not that easy to deal with. I would not go with Osaka To deceive."