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Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Kyle O'Sullivan

Emma Raducanu's feud with Piers Morgan, 'choke' insult and his uncomfortable humiliation

It's a struggle to find anyone that hasn't had a feud with Piers Morgan, but one of the strangest is his beef with Emma Raducanu.

The former Good Morning Britain presenter started off by being incredibly critical of the teenage tennis star when she withdrew from last year's Wimbledon.

But in a remarkable turn of events, Piers has (somewhat unsurprisingly given his track record) made a major U-turn and become one of her biggest fans.

It's the complete opposite of his relationship with Meghan Markle, which started as courteous with a few drinks in a pub and turned into a campaign of hate.

It all started in July 2021 when Raducanu, who was just 18-years-old at the time, was forced to retire from her fourth-round Wimbledon match against Ajla Tomljanovic due to breathing difficulties.

American tennis pundit John McEnroe said the occasion "got a bit too much" for the youngster - and he was backed by a riled up Piers.

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The presenter tweeted: "McEnroe told the truth. Ms Raducuna's a talented player but couldn’t handle the pressure and 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 and 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 and celebrated from school onwards. This would be immeasurably easier if so many high profile people stopped playing the victim."

This caused a heated debate on Twitter, with the likes of Gary Lineker and Andy Murray rushing to defend Raducanu and hit back at Piers' remarks.

The Match of the Day host then poked fun at Piers by reminding him of the time he stormed off of GMB in a huff after being criticised by weather reporter Alex Beresford.

Lineker wrote: "Happens to the best of us, even those that aren't suffering from a possible injury or illness."

When Piers tried to talk about Gary's on-field antics, the former England striker replied: "Yes, being on the big stage, crapping yourself or otherwise, is something you’ll never achieve."

Just a few months later, Raducanu stunned the world when she won the US open without dropping a single set.

Raducanu stunned everyone by winning he 2021 US Open (Getty Images)

By beating fellow teenager Leylah Annie Fernandez in the final in September last year she picked up Britain's first US Open title since 1977.

Before she competed in the final, Piers gave a backhanded compliment by wishing her luck, saying: "The astoundingly impressive and inspiring way you've bounced back from that Wimbledon choke tells me you have what it takes to be a champion. Now go prove it."

When Piers was inevitably hit with a backlash on social media in regards to his previous remarks, he sensationally tried to claim credit for the teenager's sensational victory.

After it was suggested her US Open success was a 'bad day' for Piers, he claimed he had been "totally vindicated" as she "took my advice and won".

"I said she needed to toughen up after she quit. She toughened up. The words you’re seeking are 'Thanks Piers'," he also said.

In another tweet he added: "Imagine if @EmmaRaducanu had taken Twitter's advice & carried on 'bravely' and 'heroically' quitting and losing…

"Thank God she's made of tougher stuff & realised that winners don't quit and have to learn how to handle the pressure. That's why she's Champion today. Congrats Emma."

It did not take long for Lineker to get involved, claiming that his old rival was "digging" himself a hole.

But Piers stood firm, labelling one critic a "virtue-signalling halfwit", then ranting: "I love how weak woke whiny Twitter thinks this makes me look bad.

"Emma Raducanu admitted she couldn’t handle the pressure at Wimbledon, resolved to be tougher next time, and just won the US Open. McEnroe was right and so was I."

Then the internet went into meltdown over humiliating comments that Raducanu had supposedly made about Piers.

It was falsely claimed: "When asked if Piers Morgan's views had encouraged her, Emma replied, 'Sorry, I don't know who she is.'"

While it quickly emerged the quotes were fiction, Piers admitted it had been an "uncomfortable" few minutes while he verified the information.

Just when you thought the rivalry couldn't get any worse, Piers then obviously took objection to Radicanu's football team.

While in Germany for the 2022 Stuttgart Open in April this year, the tennis star was seen wearing a Tottenham shirt in training.

Few were surprised to see outspoken Arsenal supporter Piers wade into the conversation and offer his take - considering he is a fan of Spurs' bitter rivals.

Taking to Twitter to express his disappointment in Raducanu's choice of attire, and fandom, he wrote: "Oh @EmmaRaducanu - how could you?"

Most recently, Piers found it hilarious when one of Emma's friends played a prank on her ahead of an interview on Italian TV.

When asked if she knew any Italian, the tennis champ unwittingly blurted out a rather rude swear word live on air.

"Congratulations to Emma Raducanu's friend, who well and truly stitched the tennis player up before she appeared on Italian TV and said a VERY bad word. It happens to the best of us, Emma," tweeted Piers.

However, he gave some rare comments to the tennis star and claimed she was "one of his favourite sports stars".

Speaking on his Talk TV show in May, Piers continued: "She came from absolutely nowhere to stun the world and win the US Open.

"She showed remarable strength and resiliance for a 19-year-old and is also a rather likeable and engaging character."

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