'A big ask' in Paris - will a stronger Raducanu emerge at Wimbledon?

Emma Raducanu skipped the clay-court season and returned to competition at Roland Garros after more than two months away due to a viral illness. She lost in the first round to Solana Sierra, 6-0 7-6 (7-4), in a match marked by very low performance and limited match sharpness. Her lack of practice was evident in a short, poor first set. She had rehired coach Andrew Richardson and could have benefited from more time on the practice court before the grass season. Raducanu said she wanted to play in Paris and stands by the decision, even while acknowledging it might have been better to save a match. She believes facing difficult moments will help her recover and strengthen her game.

"After suffering a 6-0 7-6 (7-4) defeat by Argentina's Solana Sierra in the Roland Garros first round, British number one Raducanu could be forgiven for wishing she had stayed back home. The bulk of her 2026 season has been decimated by a viral illness and how far she is behind her peers was starkly laid bare in what was only her second match back after more than two months away from tour action."

"The world number 39's lack of match practice was clear in a display where she produced arguably one of the lowest levels of her career in a 23-minute first set. Sitting out Roland Garros and getting down to work with Andrew Richardson - the coach who Raducanu has rehired after he unceremoniously left following her 2021 US Open win - would have been a logical move. Spending time on the practice court and honing her game could have paid dividends for the British grass season, where the aggressive brand of tennis she wants to play is more suited to than the clay."

"Raducanu says she stands by the decision to go to Paris. She believes trying to grind through her troubles will ultimately help her revive a career which continues to flag. "It was always going to be a big ask coming in. I really wanted to play the French, so that was my decision," said Raducanu, who had only lost a set 6-0 once before at a Grand Slam event."

""In hindsight, after the two matches I've played, it could have been nice to have saved yourself a match like today. "I didn't necessarily do as well as I'd like to this year. But I think the only way to face - and improve - how I'm feeling is to go through the tough parts, to go through the pain of it, and hopefully come out on the other side better and stronger.""

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