Coming in hot after her US Open title, 18-year-old Emma Raducanu suffered a surprising early exit from WTA 1000 Indian Wells 2021. After her loss, many criticized her, whereas others showed tremendous support. Recently, her fellow countryman Andy Murray also reflected on her loss in the desert.

The three-time Grand Slam champion explained the nature of the sport and insisted that Raducanu losing in her opening match in Indian Wells was not entirely unexpected.

Only a month ago, Raducanu swayed the world with her success in New York. But because of the Indian Wells loss, her talent has now been put into question.

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Andy Murray on Emma Raducanu’s loss in Indian Wells 2021

Tennis is a sport where players are constantly pushed to their limits every week. That is why it’s an incredible challenge to remain at the top in this sport. Similarly, Andy Murray explained that one might not keep winning every day, every week in every tournament.

“What happened [at the US Open] was obviously incredible, but in tennis and other sports, it doesn’t just go in an upwards direction all the time,” Murray said. “I don’t think it’s anything unexpected, to be honest.”

Furthermore, the Scot lauded Raducanu for handling the situation well through glory, as well as loss. Murray even admitted that she did better than he would have at the same age.

“She’s obviously unbelievably bright, well-educated, so you would imagine she would certainly be a lot better equipped to deal with everything that’s going on than most and deal with it in a more mature way than I would have done when I was 18. She’s handled herself perfectly,” Murray added. 

Lastly, Murray concluded that she will only grow with time and learn to balance life on and off court well. For now, Raducanu will look forward to reevaluating her game and hope to come back stronger.

Watch this story: A Look Back at Emma Raducanu’s 2021 Spotlight Moments After US Open Glory

Who will Murray play next in Indian Wells Masters 2021?

Remarkably, Murray has played some exceptional tennis in the desert so far, overcoming Adrian Mannarino and Carlos Alcaraz. However, his next match will be his biggest test in Indian Wells until now.

In the third round, Murray will lock horns with third seed Alexander Zverev. Between the two, the Scot has a 2-0 advantage over the German. Do you think Murray will make it 3-0 against Zverev, or the German will finally book his first win over the Englishman?

Also Read: “Only Big Four I Never Beat”: Alexander Zverev Opens Up on Facing Andy Murray at Indian Wells Masters 2021