Ex-Wimbledon champ identifies reason behind Emma Raducanu’s devastating US Open exit

2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli thought Emma Raducanu looked like she was “almost not present” out there in the first set versus Sofia Kenin and that put the the 2021 US Open winner in a very uncomfortable and difficult position considering the opponent she was playing against.

In a battle between two Grand Slam champions, it was 2020 Australian Open champion Kenin who beat Raducanu 6-1 3-6 6-4 in the US Open first round. Right from the start of the match, it was Kenin who controlled everything. And even though the 25-year-old American missed out on two break points in the opening game, she kept pressing and still dominantly took the first set after winning six games in a row.

In the second set, Raducanu bounced back a little bit and managed to force a decider after breaking Kenin three times and losing her serve once. But in the third set, Kenin consolidated – and after saving a break point in the second game – the former world No. 4 got the lone break of the decider in the fifth game and then routinely held on to her serve for the rest of the match.

Right from the start of the match, it was Kenin who controlled everything. And even though the 25-year-old American missed out on two break points in the opening game, she kept pressing and still dominantly took the first set after winning six games in a row.

Afterward, Raducanu got emotional and started crying while speaking about how heartbroken she felt over losing early at Flushing Meadows.

“I felt that the first set for Emma went by in a flash, she was almost not present on the court. And then when you’re already one set down against someone who has been able to win a Grand Slam in the past, on a hard court and who loves these kinds of conditions, it’s such a difficult task,” Bartoli told Sky Sports.

“Kenin was constantly rushing Emma, constantly on the front foot, dictating most of the play from the back of the court, specifically to disturb Emma, who never looked comfortable out there.”

‘Sad’ Raducanu admitted she made some mistakes
Following the loss, Raducanu was the first to admit that the opening set was a complete disaster for her and that she had trouble dealing with Kenin’s shots and pace throughout the match. While making that clear, the 21-year-old Briton also got emotional and confessed to reporters that she felt “down and sad.”

“I feel down, I feel sad. Obviously, this is a tournament I really want to do well in so… after the first set I was outplayed completely and I think I did well to equal it. The third set was pretty high-level tennis and I think certain parts of my game in dealing with her speed of shot, dealing with her pace, certain parts I actually executed better than in previous matches. I came across a very in-form opponent, and she played really well,” Raducanu said after the match.

Before the US Open, many were pointing at the fact that Raducanu was healthy but still decided to play only one tournament leading up to the last Major of the year. And after the Kenin loss, the Briton also appeared to admit that it was a mistake and pretty much confirm that the criticism that came her way over the scheduling was justified.

“I was maybe a bit slow starting. Yeah, I would have preferred to probably play, a little bit more before coming into the US Open. You know, I know when I have a lot of matches, just like every player, you feel really good. You feel like everything’s automatic. So yeah, I think I can learn from it. And you know my manage my schedule slightly differently,” Raducanu admitted.

“I’m just going to go back to the drawing board and train and analyze where I went wrong and try and improve for the rest of the season. Obviously the Slams are over for this year, but it’s not actually that long until Australia comes around again.”

Tim Henman offers some empathy for Raducanu
While Bartoli identified the reasons behind Raducanu’s loss, Henman agreed that it wasn’t the most memorable US Open for the Briton but explained that there was a lot to learn from that particular match. Then, former six-time Grand Slam semifinalist Henman noted that he still believes Raducanu is trending in the right direction with her game and improvement.

“I still think her game is moving in the right direction. It’s certainly not the last we’ll see of Raducanu. Fingers-crossed she’s going to have many more opportunities here at the US Open in the future. It’s all a rebuilding process as she comes back from the surgeries [in 2023]. When she has played, she has played very well,” Henman said.

Since she herself mentioned it, Raducanu will now probably try to do some hard work on the practice court and try to fix her mistakes.

On September 16th, the WTA 500 event in Seoul is starting and Raducanu is scheduled to play there.