Raducanu crashes out of French Open in first round

Emma Raducanu's French Open campaign ended abruptly with a first-round defeat against Argentina's Solana Sierra. The British number one lost 6-0, 7-6 (7-4) in a match that highlighted Raducanu's ongoing struggles.

Raducanu's season has been hampered by a post-viral illness that sidelined her for over two months after Indian Wells in March. Her preparation for the French Open was minimal, with only one clay-court match at the Strasbourg Open earlier in the week, where she also lost in the first round.

Sierra, ranked world number 68, dominated the first set, winning it 6-0 in just 25 minutes. Raducanu committed 15 unforced errors and failed to hit a single winner in this set. The second set saw a brief resurgence from Raducanu, who fought back from a double break down to force a tie-break after trailing 5-4 with Sierra serving for the match.

However, Sierra regrouped to secure the victory in an hour and 45 minutes. Raducanu has faced persistent illness and injury issues since her 2021 US Open triumph, reaching beyond the third round of a major only once. Her attention now turns to the grass-court season, with coach Andrew Richardson, who guided her to her US Open title, back by her side.