Emma Raducanu’s Wimbledon performance caused disagreements between commentators John McEnroe and Johanna Konta.
The 21-year-old is enjoying life at the All-England Club and is playing some of best tennis as she cruised into the fourth round.
Her 6-2, 6-3 victory over Maria Sakkari means she is into the last 16 at a Grand Slam for the first time since winning the 2021 US Open.
The Bromley local is playing with a huge smile on her smile and with the freedom akin to her last fourth round appearance at SW19 and when she became a major winner.
Why did John McEnroe and Johanna Konta disagree over Emma Raducanu?
On Friday Raducanu played Sakkari for the first time since defeating the Greek player on the way to her stunning 2021 US Open victory.
She has now reached the Wimbledon fourth round for the first time since her main draw debut three years, two months before claiming glory in New York.
Raducanu has expressed that she is playing with nothing to lose which Konta agreed with, but McEnroe suggested otherwise.
“She said from the start that she came in with nothing to lose, she is an underdog, which is very much the situation she was in at the US Open at 2021 and she is riding that wave and it has brought very good things to her then,” the former Wimbledon semi-finalist said on BBC.
But the American hit back: “I am going to challenge your notion that she has nothing to lose. I think she knows darn well that it’s not the case. It’s what you should say to take some of that pressure off.”
But reinforcing her point of view, Konta responded: “You see, I actually think she believes it. I think the way she plays and the way she is moving, I think she truly believes it.”
Emma Raducanu’s dream Wimbledon run continues
Though the scoreline suggests otherwise, the former British number one came through some adversity as she saved seven Sakkari break points, and each time she made a first serve.
She capitalised on her own opportunities to break serve on four occasions on the way to sealing another fantastic win in front of a packed crowd on Centre Court.
“It’s obviously amazing,” Raducanu said. “I think you do your work day in, day out. You never know when it’s going to pay off, you never know when you’re going to reap the rewards.
“I think after a lot of losses just on a regular tour, it’s very difficult sometimes to stay in the moment, keep working, get back up, just keep doing your thing. You have to have in the back of your mind at some point it’s going to pay off and you just don’t know when.
“I’m very happy that a lot of the work I’ve been doing has compounded and has been able to show this week.”
The British player will face qualifier Lulu Sun in round four, who upset eighth seed Qinwen Zheng in round one and is having a magical campaign at the grass court Grand Slam.
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