Raducanu beaten in French Open first round

Emma Raducanu’s French Open campaign came to an early end as she suffered a frustrating first-round defeat by Argentina’s Solana Sierra.

After failing to win a single game in a dismal first set that only lasted 25 minutes, the British number one fought back from a double-break down in the second to force a tie-break.

However, she could not see through the turnaround as world number 68 Sierra regrouped to win 6-0 7-6 (7-4).

Raducanu’s 2026 season has been disrupted by a post-viral illness that kept her off the WTA Tour for more than two months following Indian Wells in March.

Her build-up to the French Open had been far from ideal, with a first-round defeat at the Strasbourg Open earlier this week her only match on clay – and Raducanu’s unfamiliarity with the red dirt was evident from the offset.

Sierra, who grew up playing on clay, broke Raducanu’s serve in the opening game, and things went downhill from there for the Briton.

Raducanu hit 15 unforced errors to zero winners as Sierra broke twice more on her way to a first-set ‘bagel’.

A downcast Raducanu took time off court before returning for the second set, and while she managed to get a game on the board early on, it remained plain sailing for Sierra, who put away a series of booming forehand winners to storm to a 4-1 lead.

A break back gave Raducanu a glimmer of hope, and belief started to creep in when she levelled the set at 5-5 with Sierra serving for the match.

Sierra broke back immediately but once again failed to serve out the win as a resurgent Raducanu forced a tie-break.

However, after clawing her way back to 5-4 from 5-1 down in the tie-break, Raducanu’s resistance let up, and Sierra secured victory after an hour and 45 minutes.

Raducanu has been blighted by illness and injuries in recent years and has only gone beyond the third round of a major once since her US Open win in 2021.

Her focus will now turn to the British grass-court season as she continues to work with coach Andrew Richardson, who helped guide her to the Flushing Meadows title as a teenage qualifier and was re-hired by Raducanu earlier this month.

Sierra will face either Italian 13th seed Jasmine Paolini or Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine in the second round.

How did Raducanu look on court?

Despite failing to replicate the success of her 2021 US Open run, Raducanu has – for the most part – been able to navigate the opening rounds at majors.

This is the first time she has lost in the first round at Roland Garros and is just her third first-round exit at a Grand Slam overall.

Playing in baking hot conditions, Raducanu looked laboured as she planted balls into the net and struggled to keep up with Sierra’s powerful baseline game.

She showed little emotion as the Argentine condemned her to a 6-0 scoreline in the opening set, and rather than voicing her frustration, she coughed in between points.

Even when she found some rhythm in the second set, Raducanu – who has previously let out a roar after winning a crucial point – kept her celebrations to a minimum.

There was little Richardson could say to inspire a comeback, with Raducanu committing 42 unforced errors throughout the match, and she made a hasty retreat off the court after Sierra secured victory.

المصدر: MyJoyOnline (GH)