"When you carry the weight of a whole country, it is tough, I wish Emma Raducanu well" - Sloane Stephens

Sloane Stephens recently commented on fans' expectations for Emma Raducanu, saying it was not easy for the Brit to carry the weight of an entire country on her shoulders. Stephens also wished her good luck for the upcoming season.

Current US Open champion Raducanu will take on former US Open winner Stephens in the first round of the 2022 Australian Open.

Tennis fans around the world are excited to see how Raducanu will fare in her first Grand Slam after her historic run at Flushing Meadows. Thankfully, her first-round opponent had some words of advice for the young Brit.

Speaking on an episode of the Tennis.com Podcast with coach Kamau Murray, Stephens stated that the hype of winning a Grand Slam did not last forever for her. But she was thankful for that, because it allowed her to focus on playing her natural game.

"After a little bit, [being a Grand Slam winner] wasn't cool anymore. I am thankful for it, because I was able to get back to my sport and do what I needed to do," Stephens said. "When you carry the weight of a whole country, it's very tough."

In the 28-year-old's opinion, the year immediately following a Grand Slam was the most "brutal" for managing public expectations. But she was confident Raducanu had the mental tenacity to manage the demands of the game.

"I wish her well. I know it will be difficult, but she's a great little player. Everyone goes through those ups and downs. At some point, you come back down," Stephens said. "But it is very emotional. The year after winning a Slam is brutal."

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Emma Raducanu's second match of 2022 is at the Australian Open

Emma Raducanu has played only one match as warmup to the 2022 Australian Open

Emma Raducanu has not had the preparatory period that she would have liked for the 2022 season. The World No. 18 was part of the entry list for Melbourne Summer Set 1. However, she did not fully recover from her previous COVID-19 infection at the time of the event and opted out.

At the Sydney Tennis Classic, she played her first-round match against Elena Rybakina. It did not turn out to be a good start, as the ninth seed defeated her 6-0, 6-1. Therefore, Emma Raducanu will start her campaign at the 2022 Australian Open with only one competitive match under her belt.

Thankfully, the loss did not affect the 19-year-old too badly. Instead, Raducanu appeared to have internalized Stephens' advice on how to manage the game's volatility at her post-match press conference.

"I'm just at the start of my first season. I think one of my goals is not to get too down or too high," she said after her defeat against Rybakina.

Raducanu will take on Stephens on January 17.