Andy Murray defends Emma Raducanu after Piers Morgan criticises 18-year-old’s ‘mental strength’

The Briton retired from her fourth round match at Wimbledon against Ajla Tomljanovic after experiencing “difficulty breathing”

Andy Murray has defended Emma Raducanu after the 18-year-old was criticised by Piers Morgan following her retirement in her fourth round match at Wimbledon.

The 62-year-old, who won seven Grand Slam singles titles in his career, claimed that the occasion “got a bit too much” for Raducanu.

The Briton left Court One for a medical treatment while trailing Alja Tomljanovic (4-6, 0-3) and failed to return, citing “difficulty breathing”.

McEnroe said: “I feel bad for Emma, I mean obviously it got - it appears it got a bit too much, as is understandable, particularly what we’ve been talking about for the last six weeks.”

After McEnroe was widely criticised for his views, Morgan took to Twitter to agree with the American, stating: “McEnroe told the truth. Ms Raducanu’s a talented player but couldn’t handle the pressure & quit when she was losing badly. Not ‘brave’, just a shame.

“If I were her, I’d tell my fans to stop abusing McEnroe, & seek his advice on how to toughen up & become a champion like he was.

"Mental strength and resilience are not dirty words. They’re good things that need to be taught, nurtured, encouraged & celebrated from school onwards.

“This would be immeasurably easier if so many high profile people stopped playing the victim."

But Murray moved to defend the youngster in her breakthrough Grand Slam as a professional, quoting Morgan’s tweet and adding: “Think this is a very harsh take on the situation Piers.”

Emma Raducanu showed signs of distress before her retirement (PA)

Gary Lineker also defended Raducanu, stating that it was just the beginning of a bright career: “Well played Emma Raducanu, you’ve been joyous. Wish you a speedy recovery.”

While Lineker also dismissed Morgan’s views, replying with a picture of the former Good Morning Britain presenter walking off set: “Happens to the best of us, even those that aren’t suffering from a possible injury or illness.

“Being on the big stage, crapping yourself or otherwise, is something you’ll never achieve.”