Emma Raducanu was knocked out in the first round of the US Open by Sofia Kenin in a showdown between former Grand Slam champions on Tuesday night in New York.
Raducanu has been trying to replicate the fairytale form she showed three years ago when she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows.
And American Kenin crushed Raducanu 6-1 3-6 6-4 in front of a packed grandstand crowd.
Raducanu wiped away tears when asked how he felt at the press conference.
“I'm discouraged and sad. Obviously, I really want to do well in this tournament… I was completely pushed back after the first set and I think I did well enough to catch up,” she said.
“The third set was a pretty high level of tennis and I think I executed certain parts of my game better than in the previous matches, like dealing with her shot speed and pace.
“I had an opponent who was in really good shape and she did really well.”
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Sky Sports Tennis talks to Raducanu about her career so far and what we can expect from her in the future…
Kenin dominated the first set, winning six straight games, while Raducanu, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon this year, stepped up in the second set.
The British player missed three break points in the first set, but made a move by taking Kenin's serve at the start of the second set.
Kenin recovered the break right away, but at 2-2 and 15-15, Raducanu hit a backhand winner along the line that changed the momentum of the second set.
This helped her break, and Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, lost her cool by hitting the ball on the backboard. Two great winners followed, with Raducanu making her second break and the second set being played in style.
But Raducanu ran out of steam and lost his serve with a double fault in the fifth game of the final, and when Kenin perfectly defended, there was no way back.
Raducanu broke down in tears at a press conference when asked how he felt after losing to Kenin.
Having played in just one tournament since Wimbledon, skipping the Olympics to focus on preparing for the US Open, Raducanu would be bitterly disappointed if she falls at the first hurdle and questions remain about the direction of her career.
In her defense, it was a tough match for Raducanu against a player who was ranked fourth in the world, and she was at her best.
Raducanu plans to return to the drawing board ahead of the Korea Open in Seoul on September 16. Live on Sky Sports Tennis.
“Until then, I'm just going to go back to the drawing board and train and analyse what I did wrong and try to improve throughout the season,” Raducanu said. “Obviously, the Slam is over for this year, but it won't be that long until Australia comes back (in January).”
Carlos Alcaraz After being scare by Australian qualifier Lee Tu, he won 6-2 4-6 6-3 6-1.
The 21-year-old, who won the 2022 US Open, suffered an injury to his right ankle during a practice session on Saturday but showed no signs of limiting his movement.
He extended his winning streak to 15 consecutive Grand Slam matches against qualifiers ranked 186th in the world.
“Of course I was a little bit surprised. It was obvious in the first set that he started the match nervously. But after the first set, I think he started enjoying the match and playing great tennis,” Alcaraz told on-court interviewer Nick Kyrgios.
“I played well, and I probably made a few mistakes. He's a great player. I'll be watching him – and his results – from now on because if he plays at this level, I'm sure we'll see him soon.”
Alcaraz's next opponent is 2021 quarterfinalist. Zandschulp's BoticHe beat Denis Shapovalov 6-4 7-5 6-4.
Cold response to Sinner
World number one Yannick Sinner has admitted he received a cold reception from his teammates at the US Open following controversy over his failed doping test.
The Italian player played his first match since then. He escaped the ban despite failing two tests earlier this year..
Cinner, who was found not guilty by an independent tribunal without any fault or negligence, vigorously defended himself despite criticism that he received preferential treatment because of the speed with which his case was resolved.
At first, it looked like the drama was going to explode when American Mackenzie McDonald won the first set and then held serve in the second, but Sinner took control and won the first round 2-6 6-2 6-1 6-2.
Sinner said he was pleased with the crowd's reaction but felt the welcome in the locker room was a bit cold.
“I'm curious to see how the fans will react, but it's been very positive,” he said.
“I was really happy with the support because I was playing against Americans, it was a little different.
“So I'm happy with how I handled the situation. It wasn't easy. So I'll just take a lot of positives from today and see what happens in the next round.
“There are also reactions from other players. I can't control what they think.
“You know, that's how it all went down, and that's the truth. I can't control how the players react, and if I have something to say to someone, I go there personally. That's the kind of person I am.
“Overall it wasn't bad, so I'm happy about it.”
Former Champion Daniil Medvedev He secured his place in the second round with a 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-3 win over Serbia's Dusan Lajovic.
Stefanos Tsitsipas becomes the top seed to be eliminated after losing to Australia. Thanasi Kokkinakis In 4 sets.
19th seed Felix Auger-Aliasime also lost.
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