Emma Raducanu’s first match in two months ended in defeat as the British star was defeated in straight sets by Diane Parry in Strasbourg.
Raducanu had not previously played since Indian Wells, when she was defeated in the second round to Amanda Anisimova and her stint in Strasbourg was her first taste of clay since 2026.
Considering her recent virus and the surface, Raducanu was solid on her first match back, but she was still beaten by Parry 6-4, 7-6 in a match which featured plenty breaks of serve.
It’s unsurprising, then, that Raducanu was happy with the way she played against Parry, despite the scoreline.
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Speaking after the match, the British star said: “Diane came in with a lot of confidence from her win last week and played some really good tennis. I think I played well in moments but, yeah, it’s been a long break since I’ve played a competitive match.”
Raducanu said she was nowhere near the level she can be, due to her rustiness, but she feels it was a positive move in the right direction.
“It’s gonna take a little bit of time before I find my groove on the match court,” she said. “I’m proud with how I fought and competed throughout the whole match. I’m feeling as though I’m just trying to take care of each day as best as I possibly can.”
Raducanu’s defeat to Parry was the British star’s first match back with Andrew Richardson, who she re-hired after their spell together in 2021.
The British coach guided Raducanu to the 2021 US Open championship, when she sensationally became the first-ever qualifier to win the Grand Slam.
Raducanu will next head to Roland Garros, where she does not have the best record. She has only ever played the Paris event on two occasions.
The star is yet to get past the second round of the Grand Slam, having been beaten at that stage at both of her previous appearances in Paris.
In 2025, Raducanu was convincingly beaten by Iga Swiatek in straight sets to end her time at the Grand Slam. That followed Raducanu’s impressive three set victory against Wang Xinyu in the first round.
Her only other appearance came in 2022, when she defeated Linda Noskova in three sets in round one, before losing out to Aliaksandra Sasnovich in three sets in the second round.
Raducanu was seeded at the event in 2022, but that was not the case last year. This year, she will not be seeded either as she will begin the tournament ranked World No. 37.
The post Emma Raducanu immediately reacts after losing her return match to Diane Parry appeared first on Tennis365.
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