EDDIE JONES has been slammed for making sexist comments about US Open champion Emma Raducanu.
The England rugby head coach suggested Raducanu’s form has been affected by off-court commitments since the New York triumph in September.
Jones was trying to use the tennis teen’s commercial ‘distractions’ as a warning for England star Marcus Smith.
The comments sparked a social media storm and former British No1 Jo Durie said: “No-one ever complains about blokes going to galas – it’s always something that is thrown at women.”
Durie, 61, added: “Emma isn’t a girl. She’s an 18-year-old woman.
“Unfortunately, when you’re this famous, everybody likes to have their opinion about you.
“I don’t know her well myself but she seems to have a good head on her shoulders.
“She just needs to play for at least a season and get used to life on the Tour before anyone expects anything else from her.”
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Raducanu will play Chinese qualifier’s Wang Xinyu in the second round of the WTA Upper Austria Ladies Linz – the day after being promoted to No20 in the world rankings.
Women in Sport CEO Stephanie Hilborne told SunSport: “Rather than criticise a brilliant young sportswoman from another sport, we’d like to hear Eddie Jones talking about how rugby can inspire future generations in the way that Emma Raducanu has inspired women and girls in tennis.”
TV presenter Gabby Logan – who fronts Amazon Prime Video’s Autumn Series coverage – said: “Unbelievably unfair and not even remotely comparable.
“She is 18 in her first six months of being pro.
“She made the second week of Wimbledon and won the US Open having never played on the Tour.
“Imagine an 18-year-old rugby player winning a World Cup having never played a club game.
“My point was two Tour defeats after winning a Major does not make a catastrophe.
“Nor having endorsements equals inevitable career decline.
“Cristiano Ronaldo, Serena Williams and many more have done okay on both commercial and sporting fronts.”
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Amid the criticism, Jones found an ally in one of his former players, the retired England flanker James Haskell.
The 77-cap star went on Twitter and responded to claims from tennis commentator David Law that the Jones comments were ‘uninformed, irresponsible, sexist nonsense’.
Haskell, 36, said: “Honestly, how you think this is sexist is beyond me.
“It’s a point about distraction and the pitfalls of fame, that can happen to anyone.
“I can see you desperately want to insight the cancel mob, but you are going to need to do better than that.
“Where is the sexism? You are just saying it to insight a riot.
“You and I both know you said that so everyone would jump in.
“She is the most relevant example of a current athlete. Gender is not relevant. It’s ok to say you overreacted because you felt passionate.”
