NEW YORK (AP) — Emma Raducanu wiped tears from her eyes at her post-match press conference after losing to the French Open in the first round of the US Open on Tuesday evening, the champion 2021 winless at the tournament since their title.
“I’m depressed. I’m sad,” Raducanu said, pausing to find her words. “Of course, this is a tournament where I really want to do well.”
Three years ago, the Brit Raducanu was 18 years old when she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam singles title at the US Open. She was In 2022 she was eliminated in the first round by Alizé Cornetbut missed the trip to Flushing Meadows last year after having to undergo surgery on both wrists and an ankle.
This time, Raducanu lost in the home stretch to Kenin, an American who won the Australian Open in 2020.
“I’m mentally super strong and I think that’s something I’ve always had,” said Kenin, who had lost six of her last seven matches before the US Open. “I went into the match today full of confidence and of course believed that I could win.”
Kenin finished the game with 45 wins, almost twice as many as Raducanu’s 24.
“It’s not without reason that she’s a Grand Slam winner. … You have to give her credit for that,” said Raducanu, who hasn’t played a match on the tour since a loss in Washington on August 2.
The inaction may have been a mistake, but it was the result of a “collective” decision by her team, Raducanu said.
Her next event will be the Korea Open, which begins on September 16 in Seoul.
“Until then, I’ll just start from scratch, train and analyse where I made mistakes and try to improve for the rest of the season,” Raducanu said. “The Slams are obviously over for this year, but it’s not really long until Australia is back in action (at the start of next season).”
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AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
