Emma Raducanu warned that players will be ‘gunning’ for her

Emma Raducanu has been warned of the “rough road” that lies ahead after the British tennis star suffered a disappointing exit at the BNP Paribas Open in California. 

Raducanu stormed to victory at the US Open last year, becoming the first qualifier to ever win a Grand Slam title. 

But since then, the British number one has struggled somewhat and has been plagued with injuries so far this year.

Raducanu is currently in the midst of her first full season on the tour but has not managed to reach beyond the third round of any tournament. 

At the Australian Open, the Brit lost in the second round to Danka Kovinic after suffering with blisters on her hand. 

Then, at the Mexican Open, Raducanu had problems with her hip, which caused her to retire from her first-round match with Daria Saville. 

And most recently in California, Raducanu blew a one-set advantage against Croatia’s Petra Martic in the third-round. 

Raducanu had served for the match in the decider, but Martic rallied and fought back to secure an impressive win. 

Following the match, the Brit revealed she’d been playing through yet another injury and had been suffering from a stiff back. 

Having won just four matches since her US Open triumph, many have labelled her major victory as a fluke and suggested her world ranking of 13 is flattering. 

But former American tennis player Leif Shiras has stressed that winning a tennis tournament is no easy task and the Brit should not be expected to win titles constantly. 

“People who aren’t tennis fans or sports fans say, Emma will win the calendar Slam she’s that great. If it were that easy, right? It just isn’t that easy,” he told Sky Sports. 

“For a young player like her [Raducanu] there is going to be pressure. She’s under