Emma Raducanu defended over 'its a joke' comments after early Wimbledon exit

Johanna Konta has jumped to the defence of Emma Raducanu after the British No 1 hit out at questions over her feeling pressure as "a joke". Raducanu came into Wimbledon this week under a cloud of doubt surrounding her fitness after picking up an injury at the Nottingham Open.

Raducanu celebrated her Centre Court debut with an impressive first-round win over Alison Van Uytvanck. But Carolina Garcia, who won a grasscourt title the week before Wimbledon, had too much for Raducanu in the second round.

Raducanu appeared spiky in her post-match press conference, knocking back any suggestions that she feels any pressure to perform having the spotlight thrust upon her from an early age. She said: "There's no pressure. Like, why is there any pressure?

"I'm still 19. Like, it's a joke. I literally won a slam." Her comments soon went viral on social media with some fans questioning her attitude.

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But Konta, who retired from professional tennis back in December, has jumped to the defence of her compatriot for just speaking facts.

"She definitely presents modern maturity in her knowledge about herself and what she wants to do and the direction she wants to go," Konta told Express Sport "What she said is a fact, she is a Grand Slam champion and she's 19 years old so they're literally just facts that she said.

"She has every right to say these facts. In terms of pressure, again pressure is very much absorbed and dealt with individually.

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"I think it's great if she's able to digest the situation in this way and see it in a way that it's just a part of the job and actually not a big deal."

Konta also tipped the 19-year-old to bounce back from her