Emma Raducanu’s history with Judy Murray has been revisited following her Australian Open success (Image: Getty Images)
The tensions between and Judy Murray have been revisited after the British tennis star to her son, . Six months after her injury withdrawal ruined Murray’s final farewell at and caused a , Raducanu has gone into detail regarding her efforts to make things right.
The 22-year-old is set to face second seed in the third round of the on Saturday. Raducanu beat Amanda Anisimova in straight sets to advance once more on Thursday and revealed she sent three-time Grand Slam winner Murray “a long message” last summer apologising for raining on his retirement plans after injury ended their mixed doubles campaign.
“I just hope he doesn’t hate me too much,” she joked at a press conference after reaching the third round in Melbourne for the first time. “He’s someone that I’ve grown up looking up to, and I don’t want any bad blood or harsh feelings with him. I sent him a long message, and he took it really well and responded, saying he was disappointed but he understood. We’re fine now.
“We walk past each other and say ‘hello’, ‘well done’. It’s obviously really cool seeing him with Novak here as well. Two great champions, and they’re just together; it’s pretty awesome. Afterwards I sent him a long message basically apologising if I caused any trouble I guess at , that’s definitely the last thing I want.”
Hopes were high for a grand mixed doubles send-off with Raducanu, but her withdrawal sparked Judy Murray to take a subtle swipe at the young star on social media. “Yes, astonishing,” read her reply in one tweet that appeared to be a jab at Raducanu, though Murray insisted it was aimed at organisers.
After facing a backlash and making her X account private, she added: “Not sure anyone understands sarcasm these days. Pretty sure the scheduling (4th match court 1 with a singles following day) will have played a major part in any decision making.”
Andy Murray remained quiet throughout the short-lived furore (Image: Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Raducanu dismissed any suggestion of conflict over Judy’s comments, though she acknowledged everyone is “entitled to their opinions.” Defending her pull-out from the mixed doubles competition, she added: “I don’t think it was a mistake because I was feeling fine, then [Saturday] morning just woke up with stiffness.
“I have to prioritise myself, my singles and my body. I think it was the right decision. I stand by the decision. Obviously, it was a tough decision, though, because it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do.”
There was a perception from some fans – and perhaps Murray, too – that Raducanu could have still played in the doubles if her injury wasn’t enough to end her singles campaign too. However, others agreed she was right to prioritise her individual competition.
Murray and Raducanu showed promise as a doubles pair prior to the latter’s withdrawal (Image: Getty Images)
Murray also found himself fielding questions about Raducanu amid the drama. Soon after arriving for the , Murray was asked if he had been in touch with Raducanu following the apparent ensuing feud between her and his mother. He kept his answer short and brief, saying: “No, I haven’t spoken to her since we chatted on the phone when she told me she wasn’t going to play. We’ve not spoken.” However, Raducanu has now revealed they did have clear-the-air talks at some point last year.
The Scot also came to his mother’s defence when questioned about her again in Paris: “It’s always important, in situations like this, to remember that at that moment, everyone is really emotional.
“It’s the end of me playing at . For everyone, I’m aware there’s a much bigger picture out there. But she’s my mum. She cares a lot about me, and she has been a huge part of my career. Look at what had happened in the 10 days of warm-up.
“I had just had a surgery, I didn’t know if I would get the opportunity to play. Everyone’s emotions are running high at that time of year. My mum’s always going to look out for my best interests. She has been the best supporter.”
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Raducanu needs all the help she can get if she’s to advance once again at the . The 2021 champion takes on one of the tournament favourites in Swiatek, who reached the semi-finals in Melbourne three years ago.
The Pole has made light work of her competition thus far at the and, like Raducanu, is yet to drop a set. The former world No1 has triumphed in each of her three meetings with the Brit to date, most recently clashing in the quarter-finals of last year’s Stuttgart Open.
However, it appears Murray will indeed be one of those cheering Raducanu on as she attempts to make history. And Andy won’t be far away as he’s tasked with coaching for the first Grand Slam of 2025.