Emma Raducanu’s return to the tour after a two-month hiatus due to a post-viral illness has not gone to plan. After an opening-round exit in Strasbourg, the Brit arrived at the French Open hoping to rediscover her form, but she suffered a crushing loss in the first round. Following her exit, Raducanu grew emotional as she reflected on her performance and persistent health struggles.
Emma Raducanu Opens Up About Mental Resilience After French Open Exit
Raducanu endured a nightmare start to her first-round clash against Solana Sierra, failing to put up a challenge as the Argentine stormed to a 6-0 first set. Although the Brit displayed some fight after trailing 1-4 in the second set and rallied to force a tiebreak, Sierra ultimately secured a 6-0, 7-6(4) victory and ousted the 23-year-old from the clay-court Major.
During her post-match press conference, Raducanu said she was disappointed with the result, despite finding some encouragement in her second-set comeback.
“It was difficult. I don’t think I’ve fully processed it yet. So, it’s hard to speak about the match right now. But I have to at least take, the fact that from a set and 4-1 down, I came back and made it competitive in the second set. I’m pretty disappointed. Obviously wanted to do better, but I guess that’s the light I can take from today,” Raducanu said.
When asked about being bageled in the first set, the Brit struggled to explain her performance, while acknowledging the difficulties she faced throughout the match.
“I can’t really explain it right now. I really haven’t processed it fully. I think it was really difficult. I went on the court,” she told reporters. “I felt like the conditions were extremely lively and and I felt like I wasn’t able to trust my shots in that and didn’t feel like I had control over the ball. It was just a really difficult setup for me to step into. I have not had many matches, a bit light on confidence coming into the tournament.”
The 23-year-old also grew teary-eyed when discussing the mental resilience required to cope with her recurring health and fitness setbacks, saying, “Yeah, it’s very difficult. I think you need a lot of resilience. I think I’m trying my best each day and I think that’s all I can ask of myself.”
Emma Raducanu was visibly emotional after her first-round loss at Roland Garros 💔 pic.twitter.com/OTOYQzfMlP
— TNT Sports (@tntsports) May 24, 2026
Despite battling a lingering cough that was exacerbated by competing on clay, Raducanu shared a reassuring update on her health after the exit.
“I’ve just been struggling a bit with a cough for the last few weeks, but otherwise my symptoms have been pretty good. I’ve been left with a lingering cough. The clay irritates it a little bit. Overall health-wise, I feel good, just a lingering cough,” she said.
Emma Raducanu has disclosed that she will now turn her attention to the upcoming grass swing, which she will begin at the Queen’s Club Championships. The WTA 500 event in London gets underway on June 8 and features a star-studded field headlined by Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova, and Victoria Mboko.
