“There’s a reason Emma Raducanu didn’t do so well” – England rugby boss takes the hit

England rugby manager Eddie Jones urged his young star Marcus Smith not to be sidetracked like Emma Raducanu since winning the US Open title.

Jones, who has managed England’s rugby team for six years, believes distractions off the pitch are the only reason the British tennis star “hasn’t done so well” after his triumph at Flushing Meadows.

Since her exploits in New York City, Raducanu has appeared at the Met Gala, the premiere of Bond’s new film, and recently starred in her first Christmas commercial after joining the cast of Sports Direct in 2021.

“The great thing for good young players is the distractions,” Jones said.

“The distractions could be the exposure they get in the media, the praise they get, the criticism they get. There may be groups of agents who see this guy as the next big thing.

“There’s a reason the young girl (Raducanu) who won the US Open didn’t do so well afterwards.

“What have you seen her on – the front page of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar or whatever, wearing Christian Dior clothes. All of this is a distraction around her.

“Marcus [Smith] is grounded, but they all start to ground. Nobody starts with their feet on the ground or they aren’t part of the team and they don’t win the US Open.

“They are all starting to be grounded, but there’s a flood of distractions coming in which can make them ungrounded.”