Viral photo of Emma Raducanu calls her a name she does not deserve

This article could be called "Is Carlos Alcaraz dating Emma Raducanu?" Sure, both are in their early 20s, and they appear to hang around each other at certain times, but surely, there are better things to talk about. Alcaraz has said he and Raducanu are not dating, and that is fine. Plus, who really cares if they are, other than the tabloids?

Still, there was a photo of Alcaraz and Raducanu that went viral on Sunday. In the photo, there is certainly no obvious affection between the two, and Raducanu is throwing a photo while Alcaraz looks on. If one finds evidence of "truth" that the two are dating, it's a stretch. Again, who cares?

The issue is the name that a tweet from the otherwise excellent The Tennis Letter applies to both players. That word is "superstar." One might argue what the overused word "superstar" truly means, but one should assume that means success both in the person's profession and in the popularity of that person outside of their profession.

Emma Raducanu is no tennis superstar

Carlos Alcaraz is a superstar. He has won four Grand Slams, has been ranked No. 1 on the ATP tour, and is only 21 years old. He has a long and fruitful career ahead of him based on the success he has already had.

Emma Raducanu is not a superstar. At least, not yet. She is 22 years old and has won a major (the 2021 US Open when she did not defeat a top-ten ranked player on her way to the title) but her highest career rank is No. 10 on the WTA tour, and she reached that in the summer of 2022. She only has one title in her career.

Is she capable of being a very good player if she can find a way to remain healthy, something she has not been able to do for much of the last two years? Of course. She hits with power and that is enough to overwhelm many opponents. Still, she has not made it to the quarterfinals in any major event except for the US Open she has won, nor has she made another final in any tournament.

She is popular off the court, though. She seems to transcend the fact she has not had much on-court success. To be a superstar like Alcaraz, though, she needs to win a bunch of tennis tournaments while remaining popular off the court. She has not proven she can do that, though, so The Tennis Letter's tweet appears to be a great overreach.

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