THE BBC have been hit with hundreds of official complaints after tennis pundit John McEnroe suggested the young player Emma Raducanu had been forced to retire from Wimbledon because the pressure had been "a little bit too much" for her.
The 18-year-old was forced to stop playing her fourth-round match on July 5 after struggling to breathe.
However, three-time champion McEnroe appeared to cast doubt on the medical emergency when he said post-match: "I feel bad for Emma, obviously. It appears it just got a little bit too much ... It makes you look at the guys that have been around and the girls for so long - how well they can handle it."
Official data from the BBC revealed that the commentary on Raducanu retiring from the match had received 252 complaints.
BBC pundit John McEnroe was criticised by Scottish tennis player Andy Murray
It said the complaints about the Wimbledon programme broadcast on July 5 related to: "Insensitive analysis of player’s medical treatment/retirement from match."
After McEnroe's comments were broadcast he was accused of sexism by Scottish tennis ace Andy Murray.
His mother Judy, Piers Morgan and ex-cricketer Kevin Pietersen were all drawn into the row.
Raducanu said at the time she was oblivious to the row as she had not managed to check her phone.
Former Good Morning Britain presenter Morgan wrote: "McEnroe told the truth. Ms Raducanu's a talented player but couldn't handle the pressure and quit when she was losing. Not "brave", just a shame. If I were her, I'd tell my fans to stop abusing McEnroe and seek advice on how to toughen up and become a champion like he was."
Murray, who has long championed women in tennis and home-grown talent, said: "Think this is a very harsh take on the situation Piers."
Raducanu, from Bromley, south-east London, had just taken her A-levels and entered as a wild card but became the youngest British woman to reach the final 16 of Wimbledon in the modern era.
When Pietersen said mental tough- ness was what "separates the good from the great", Murray said: "Surely both of you aren't judging her mental toughness on yesterday's match?"
Pietersen claimed he was making a general comment.
Judy Murray tweeted: "Middle-aged men should generally avoid commenting on the physical or mental well-being of teenage girls."
Later in a social media post Raducanu said: "I think the whole experience has caught up with me. At the end of the first set, after some intense rallies, I started to breathe heavily and felt dizzy. The medical team advised me not to continue and, although it felt like the hardest thing in the world, not to be able to finish my Wimbledon on the court, I was not well enough to carry on."
She added: "Last night will go a long way to helping me learn what it takes to perform at the top."
Speaking of the backlash against McEnroe, the BBC claimed the commentator had been 'sympathetic'.
A spokesman said at the time: "John McEnroe offered his personal view on the pressures that tennis players face, based on both his own experience and those of current players. He was sympathetic to Emma's situation."
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