Novak Djokovic and Emma Raducanu share one thing in common- they are both perceived as villains in the tennis community, according to Naomi Broady, a former WTA player who is yet to officially hang up her racket. Broady thinks the critics are simply jealous of Djokovic and Raducanu’s achievements.

Djokovic has faced criticism throughout his career, and the reason why the critics come down heavily on Raducanu is because she isn’t performing. The Serb last month dealt with harsh behavior from the Australian Open crowd as he was forced to withdraw from his semifinal match against Alexander Zverev due to his hamstring injury.

Raducanu, who became a sensation after her 2021 US Open run, often makes headlines due to her staggering earnings through sponsorship deals. She is still searching for her second WTA title, and her mediocre performances and her failure to keep injuries at a distance have made her a victim of online trolls as they accuse her of focusing more on her sponsorship duties.

Broady pointed out that both Djokovic and Raducanu did nothing wrong and they have only achieved incredible results in their career, citing jealousy as the reason behind people failing to comprehend how both these players work so hard.

Djokovic is currently nursing his injury but is expected to be back on court for the Qatar Open, which is scheduled to start on February 17. If he plays, then the 2016 and 2017 Qatar Open winner will be making his fifth appearance in the tournament and his first since 2018.

Emma Raducanu is set to play in her fourth tournament of the season following the Australian Open, Singapore Tennis Open, and the Abu Dhabi Open. She is scheduled to lock horns with Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round of the Qatar Open.

Raducanu has met the Russian ace one time and has won the match. They faced each other in this year’s Australian Open first round where the Brit clinched the win in straight sets, which also included two tie-breaks.

At the Melbourne Slam, the 22-year-old had progressed to the third round for the first time but fell to World No.2 Iga Swiatek in straight sets. She then suffered first-round exits in Singapore and Abu Dhabi.

Alexandrova, a 14th seed in the tournament, started her campaign for the 2025 season at the Brisbane International and went on to play three more tournaments. The World No.25 won the Linz Open with a three-set win over Dayana Yastremska.