Emma Raducanu, the British top seed faced a narrow defeat in the first round at Strasbourg after making a comeback in two months.
On Tuesday, May 19, Raducanu was beaten by Frenchwoman Diana Parry at the WTA 500 tournament.
Raducanu had last won a Billie Jean King Cup qualifier match in three sets two years ago, which was also played on a clay court.
After being away from the WTA for two months due to injury, she fought well.
For context, it was the first tournament for the British trailblazer since Indian Wells, after she struggled to recover from a viral illness over the spring.
However, she didn’t show any signs of injury layoff and fought head-to-head with Parry, who is ranked at no. 94.
The match lasted for two hours and 25 minutes with Raducanu losing the match by 6-4, 7-6 (4.)
Despite the fact that the Briton was defeated in straight sets, the performance showed positive signs for Raducanu.
As she showed no signs of rust despite the layoff.
The 23-year-old Raducanu came to the tournament alongside a new coach Andrew Richardson, who has assumed the charge five years after.
Richardson was instrumental in coaching her to win US Open in 2021 at age 18.
Raducanu is not heading into the French Open, which is slated for Sunday, May 24, 2026.
2026-05-19 18:13:00
