Emma Raducanu ‘set to snub Eddie Jones’ invitation to attend an England rugby match’ after coach suggested she was ‘distracted’ by lucrative off-court deals in the wake of her shock US Open triumph
- Eddie Jones sparked anger this week with comments about Emma Raducanu
- He suggested that her poor form was down to lucrative off-court ‘distractions’
- Jones invited Raducanu to an England match and has since written her a letter
- It has been reported that Raducanu will turn down the offer to go to Twickenham
Emma Raducanu is set to turn down the RFU’s offer of tickets to an England match at Twickenham in the wake of Eddie Jones’ comments about her off-court distractions.
The England rugby coach felt the wrath of Raducanu’s supporters earlier this week after he suggested her poor form was down to ‘distractions’ off the court in the wake of her incredible US Open triumph at the age of just 18.
Raducanu rejected those claims and insisted she was ‘zoned in’, with Jones going on to write a letter to the young tennis star, admitting that he hoped she would accept their invitation to Twickenham for an autumn international in the coming weeks.
Emma Raducanu is expected to turn down Eddie Jones’ offer of tickets to an England game
Jones said that ‘distractions’ are behind Raducanu not doing so well since her US Open win
Raducanu isn’t expected to be at Twickenham for either the Australia or South Africa matches
But The Guardian report Raducanu is set to skip the invitation, and will not be at Saturday’s game against Australia or the one against South Africa a week later.
The initial backlash at England coach Jones came after he said at a press conference at the start of the week: ‘There’s a reason why the young girl who won the US Open hasn’t done so well afterwards.
‘What have you seen her on – the front page of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar or whatever it is, wearing Christian Dior clothes.’
Asked whether the claim was sexist, Jones later said: ‘They weren’t made in that spirit at all. We’ve sent a private letter to Emma to make sure she understands why the comments were made. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the end of the matter.’
Raducanu, 18, stunned the world of tennis with her US Open triumph in September
Raducanu (pictured above at the Met Gala), meanwhile, rejected claims by Jones that her off-court decisions have hindered her form in the aftermath of her stunning US Open victory
Social media was quick to denounce Jones’s remarks as ‘nonsense’ and a ‘cheap shot’
He added: ‘The point was it is very difficult for young players in the UK. We have got a really good group of young players coming through in England and I want to make sure we look after them.
‘So many good young players come in and get swept away by the distractions. We don’t want them to be distracted and that was the only purpose of that comment.’
Since winning in New York the 18-year-old has signed deals with Dior and Tiffany & Co jewellers, as well as appearing in Sports Direct’s Christmas advert alongside Manchester City’s midfielder Jack Grealish. In the aftermath of her US Open win, she made a high-profile appearance at the Met Gala.
She has played four competitive tennis matches since her Grand Slam victory, winning two and losing two.
Raducanu is one of the stars of Sports Direct’s Christmas advert, alongside Jack Grealish
In recent weeks, Raducanu has lost matches against opponents ranked lower than herself
Raducanu (second left) split from former coach Andrew Richardson (second right) this year
Raducanu, meanwhile, insisted that she is ‘zoned in’ despite comments about her life away from tennis.
‘I think that many people are going to have opinions of me and what I’m doing,’ Raducanu said, according to The Mirror.
‘I just know I’m staying focused with a small circle around me. I have my parents, who would 100 per cent let me know if I was getting swayed. I am very zoned in.’
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