Emma Raducanu may not be entirely disappointed after her first round exit from Roland Garros.
Raducanu was beaten by Solana Sierra 6-0, 7-6(4), as she suffered her first ever first round defeat at Roland Garros.
The Briton was one of many high-profile losses on day one of Roland Garros, with four Grand Slam champions already out of the tournament.
Raducanu was clearly emotional after her Roland Garros exit, but seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander believes that there is something she should be pleased about.
Mats Wilander praises Emma Raducanu for her fighting spirit in Roland Garros exit
Despite losing the second set in a tie-break, Raducanu actually trailed Sierra 4-1 and 5-3, seemingly heading towards a heavy first round loss.
Raducanu was able to battle back into the match, and Wilander believes she should be pleased about this in just her second match in over two months following a viral illness.
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“I thought Emma Raducanu after that terrible start of losing the first set 6-0,” Wilander said live on TNT Sports. “She did well to come back and get it to a tie breaker. She must be pleased.
“I always thought that winning a tennis match is not only that you have to win both sets, but if you do better in the second set than the first, you have to walk off the court keeping your head held high and Emma can do that.
“Sierra is a force to be reckoned with. She had match points against Coco Gauff in Rome, so being from Argentina, she obviously knows her way around the clay court.”
Raducanu also highlighted this as a positive after the match, as she looks to continue working back to match fitness after recently reuniting with coach Andrew Richardson.
What is next for Emma Raducanu?
Raducanu will now switch her attention to the grass court season, as she heads home for tournaments ahead of Wimbledon.
The 2021 US Open champion is currently only confirmed to play at the Queen’s Club Championships ahead of Wimbledon, with Raducanu admitting that she has no further plans right now.
“Yeah, looking forward to getting back on home soil, for sure,” Raducanu said in her post-match press conference.
“Queen’s is always an amazing tournament, so I’m looking forward to starting there. Afterwards, I don’t know. It depends how, you know, it goes.”
Where do you think Emma Raducanu will finish 2026 ranked?
Following her recent absence, Raducanu has dropped down the rankings and is therefore not in the top 32 seeded positions for Grand Slams.
Raducanu, who is the current world number 39, now faces an uphill battle for Wimbledon, as she will drop 60 points following her Roland Garros exit.
The 23-year-old will also be defending 108 ranking points at the Queen’s Club Championships, where she reached the quarterfinals last year.
This year’s Queen’s Club Championships will get underway on Monday, June 8, as Raducanu looks to return to winning ways on grass.
